When
someone you love is suddenly gone from your life, there are obvious things that
you will miss—their captivating smile, their warm embrace, that goofy joke they
told at every family gathering.
Not
surprisingly there are other heartaches that we cannot anticipate or measure—things
we never imagined that we would long for after a loved one passes away. This was
the case with my father. This April it will have been two years since he
departed and I am shocked at how quickly we have forgotten some of his
character traits and idiosyncrasies. For a while, I couldn’t find any
recordings of his voice, and I was distraught. Yes, I remembered exactly how he
would say “Hello Nana-Banana” when he gave me a hug, but I wanted to remember
more, each intonation. Thankfully, several friends and family members found
recordings on their phones that they shared with me, one even highlighted his
laughter which was a treasure to hear.
The
reverse of this is also true, however. I have discovered memories of my father
that I didn’t know existed. In our family, we always called him the “Mad
Clipper” because he constantly cut out cartoons and articles from local papers.
He would hand these out to a particular person he thought would benefit from a
laugh or a tip. His clippings could range from a “Wizard of Id” cartoon to a “Consumer
Reports” article about the best dishwasher brands, rated and ranked by price.
Just the
other day I uncovered a notebook I had never seen before. The front is covered
with a variety of stickers: Tin Can Sailors, Retired Navy Pride, Association of
Naval Aviation (ANA). Inside I found a treasure trove—book reviews of his latest
reads, mostly related to the military service. He also kept correspondence between
his friends as they shared their latest “good reads” analysis.
This is
like uncovering another glimpse into my father’s life and his interests. He
read books that I would never have thought to read, and he took notes on them,
too. This discovery dredged up a memory, too. Every year when we headed to a
local Christmas tree farm, he made sure to exchange books with the owner. Turns
out they had both served in the Navy and had similar interests.
Needless
to say, I thought I might share these findings with you, dear reader. Granted,
these titles are older, but the good news is they will be readily available
since they’re not “hot items.” To be sure, you will quickly catch onto the
nautical theme of these selections:
Halsey’s Typhoon:
The True Story of a Fighting Admiral, an Epic Storm, and an Untold Rescue by Bob Drury and Tom Clavin. As
if December 1944 didn’t have enough trouble of its own, this is the story of a
popular naval hero, Admiral William “Bull” Halsey, who “unwittingly sailed his
undefeated Pacific Fleet into the teeth of a powerful typhoon” later named Cobra. Admiral Halsey’s task had been to
maneuver two dozen fleet oilers to provide fuel for the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise. When hit by the typhoon,
three destroyers capsized. Any survivors of this catastrophe faced
shark-infested waters, seventy-foot waves, exhaustion, and dehydration before
rescue arrived. Thanks to Lt. Com. Henry
Lee Plage, “who, defying orders, sailed his tiny destroyer escort USS Tabberer through 150-mph winds to
reach the lost men.” According to my father’s notes: “Weather reporting was few
and sketchy at best at this time. There wasn’t much warning of a typhoon. Ships
were low on fuel and couldn’t refuel due to high seas and wind. They tried
various methods and none worked.” Basically, hands’ down an amazing story of a
lesser known World War II event.
Master and Commander by Patrick O’Brian. Many of our
library patrons love to read O’Brian and his acclaimed Aubrey-Maturin series.
That said, I had no idea that my father was also a fan, at least of O’Brian’s
first book. In “Master and Commander,” the friendship between Captain Aubrey,
R.N., and Stephen Maturing, ship’s surgeon and intelligence agent, is
established. Set in the Napoleonic wars, O’Brian captures the life of sailors
and servants in Admiral Nelson’s navy. As a quotation from the Guardian reads,
“There are two types of people in the world: Patrick O’Brian fans, and those
who haven’t read him yet.” I believe
it’s time to read at least one O’Brian story so I can also become a fan, or try
the Master and
Commander DVD with
Russell Crowe.
The Hungry Ocean by Linda Greenlaw. Many readers
first learned of Captain Linda Greenlaw in “The Perfect Storm,” where her boat
the “Hannah Boden” was the sister ship to the fated “Andrea Gail.” In this
book, Greenlaw has adventures of her own during a month-long swordfishing trip
in the Grand banks. My father was impressed with this Colby graduate’s sailing
skills. He also took note of the average expenses of running a five person
fishing boat and the hardships that they face on a daily basis. In Greenlaw’s
own words: "If we don't
catch fish, we don't get paid, period. In short, there is no labor union."
Ten Hours Until
Dawn: The True Story of Heroism and Tragedy Aboard the Can Do by Michael Tougias. I know my
Dad loved to attend local library programs where local historians like Michael
Tougias presented their latest books. I remember Dad sharing the story he had
heard about the brave captain of the pilot boat, the “Can Do,” who set out to
rescue the tanker “Global Hope” in the Salem Sound and the Coast Guard patrol
that was caught in the maelstrom as well. According to Dad’s notes, Tougias “did
a good job describing the main characters and their families and the results to
each of the loss.” That sounds like a win!
Dangerous Waters:
Modern Piracy and Terror on the High Seas by John S. Burnett. I can
understand how this book would have fascinated a retired Naval Commander like
my father. As he wrote, piracy is still
a big problem for “whole ships disappear without a trace. Crews are captured,
killed, tortured.” In particular, Burnett focuses on an area between Singapore
and Sumatra called the Malacca Straits which is susceptible because “it’s a
narrow area and very busy and a highway of ships going to and from the far
east.” Amazingly, 25 ships per hour, 600 ships per day, pass through this area
and pirates have no trouble boarding them by “climbing up ropes, poles, anchor
chains etc.” Combine this read with the movie, Captain Phillips,
and you will be staying off the high seas for some time.
The Good Times by Russell Baker. I’m not too surprised to find Baker’s second
memoir on Dad’s list, since he also served in the Navy and grew up in the
Depression. I remember my father regularly following his column entitled “The
Observer” in the New York Times. Like my father, Baker spent his childhood
delivering papers in his neighborhood and finding humor in so many day-to-day
events. According to the “Library Journal,” “Aspiring writers will chuckle over
Baker’s first, horrible day on police beat, his panicked interview with Evelyn
Waugh, and his arrival at Queen Elizabeth’s coronation in top hat, tails, and
brown-bag lunch.” Who doesn’t appreciate a man who brings a brown-bag lunch to
the Queen’s coronation?
While Dad’s
list consists of book titles that I would not have picked out on my own, it has
been wonderful to add a little variety to my repertoire. I hope you think so, too.
I also hope you discover a treasure like this from your own loved one,
providing insight into their interests, hopes, and dreams.
