{Straight From the Heart} *Awestruck Wonder* 1/21/00
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Awestruck Wonder
By Joe Edwards
It was a time of Harry James and Betty Grable; a time of seams in the
ladies stockings, of Rosie the riveter, ration stamps for gasoline, shoes,
fuel oil, sugar and tires. It was a time of the 35 mile per hour speed
limit to conserve gasoline and tires, and a time when all the church bells
rang in all the little towns for all the people to come to pray for the
success of the Normandy invasion. It was a time when couples married
hurredly in order to have a few days of married bliss before he went off to
war.
Such a marriage was that of Luther and Jenny.
They had dated all through high school in the little town of Miller,
Missouri. She was a cheerleader, and he was captain of the basketball
team, both known and loved by all the townspeople in that little community
of 600.
Then Luther got his draft notice. They married quickly and rented a
tiny house at the north end of town, near the end of the railroad spur that
came from Mt. Vernon, the larger town eight miles to the south.
The townspeople watched Luther off on the train, and Jenny went back
to the little house to wait for his return. Luther's letters to her came
daily at first, then sporadically after he reached Europe where he was a
bombardier on a B-17 bomber. Jenny would carry his letters with her and
read them not only to her friends, but to anyone in town who would listen,
and everyone would. Jenny kept the little house clean, the lawn mowed, the
flower garden cultivated - all in anticipation of Luther's return.
The telegrams began to arrive -- Will Johnson had been killed, Perry
Abiattia had both hands blown off when he picked up a land mine, Herschel
Sexton had been shot and had a plate in his head and his purple heart had
been sent to his wife, Dixie, who showed it to all the townspeople and wept
over it.
Still, Jenny said that Luther would come home safely -- she knew it.
Two years went by. We little boys played our war games. We would run
about holding our arms outstretched, making airplane noises and dropping
imaginary bombs on imaginary targets. "I just bombed Hitler", one would
say, "I just bombed Mussilini", another would say, and then the war was
over in Europe and the letter came from Luther.
"My dearest Jenny," it said, "We will be ferrying our B-17s across the
United States to California. I will ask my pilot to break formation and
fly over Miller and your house. Be out front on April 3rd at 10am."
Now, none of us in that area had ever actually seen a B-17. We had
seen that giant airplane only on recruitment posters and movie newsreels.
The word flashed across Mt.Vernon, Aurora, Greenfield, Lockwood and several
other little towns in the area, and on the appointed date, at least 6000
people had gathered in front of Jenny's house, many having left their cars
parked nearly two miles away. The people left a large opening in front of
Jenny's house where she stood awaiting this monumental event.
I think I was about 7 years old then, and I stood holding onto my
mother's hand, waiting.
We heard it long before we saw it. The roar of those giant engines
began to build up until it nearly deafend us, and then there it was --just
over the trees, from the east, nose high, flaps down, wheels down, bomb bay
doors open, the huge propellors clawing the sky. It seemed to just hang
there, and yes! We could see Luther in the bomb bay as he waved at us!
The gigantic war machine banked to the left, flew around the water
tower and made another pass. This time Luther dropped a small supply
parachute which opened just a few feet in front of Jenny. It had a small
box attached. Jenny ran to it, picked it up and ran to the house. She
later made a dress of the parachute -- it was of the camouflage type -- and
wore it proudly around town.
Yes, that amazing scene took place over 50 years ago, and most of
those who witnessed it are now dead, but Jenny and Luther's love for each
other never died.
As a matter of fact, I just saw them last week. They are still
together, enjoying a love that to this day is as big as that B-17 we stood
and watched in awestruck wonder.
We may have come from a small town, but our memories and our feelings
run very very deep.
Joe Edwards
frogwilly@webtv.net
Make sure you email Joe and let him know what you thought of his story!
Joe Edwards from Missouri is a semiretired Jazz pianist now living
in Springfield. Although he has played all over the country, his
primary base was Kansas City, known as the home of good jazz. He
still plays a few wedding receptions and has recently been joined
by a top jazz guitarist. Joe writes about his little hometown of
Miller, Missouri, and will have a book of his stories published by a
major publishing house in the next year!
Looking ahead to Tomorrow:
I will be sharing a story I wrote called, "For the Love of the
Game." It's about 4 people who love volleyball and the thrill of
competition!
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Thought For The Day:
"The most disappointed people in the world are those who get what's
coming to them."
(Elmer Letterman)
Verse for the Day:
"A man's own folly ruins his life, yet his heart rages against the Lord."
Proverbs 19:3
Kid's Thought For The day:
When your dad is mad and asks you, 'Do I look stupid?'
don't answer."
Parent's Thought For The Day
If you bungle raising your children, I don't think whatever
else you do well matters very much.
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (1929 - 1994)
Coach's Thought For The Day
"Officiating is the only job in America that everybody knows how to do
better than the guy who is doing it."
Deep Thought For The Day:
Forecast for tonight: Dark.
_
/_/\/\ MICHAEL T. POWERS
\_\ / THUNDER27@aol.com http://members.aol.com/Thunder27/index.html
/_/ \ "For I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but
\_\/\ \ Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body I live for the Son
\_\/ of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." Galatians 2:20
"I thought of you first after my family sat down to watch the video
we gave them. They loved it, to say the least! Within thirty
seconds my mom was crying and my dad did too. They said it was
the best Christmas gift we could have given them!! You did such
a beautiful job! They were so suprised and so touched---they
really, really, really loved it. Thanks for helping to make it so
special to us all. My mom mentioned how the songs were perfect for
the video too! Thanks again!"
Kelli (RKaGe@aol.com) College Station, TX
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