Last week, May 27, our large family group chat pinged with “Happy Anniversary” texts to Cappy and Daboo. Trey’s wife, Amy, asked Daboo a few questions about their engagement and wedding. Dad took the wheel and responded to one of the questions here. So glad you got this in writing, Dad.
I first saw your Mom at her high school Prom. I was there escorting her friend and classmate Jan, daughter of A&I’s legendary football coach Gil Steinke. When we walked in the ballroom, I saw this beautiful girl across the room. Pretty as a picture, with a flipped-up bouffant hairdo, just as in her senior picture on my desk now. I was smitten. But she disappeared to college in Louisiana. In my second year, I picked up a girl for a date and there she was! That Girl was my date’s roommate! But the holidays sent us in different directions again. Back at school, I finagled a couple of dates, but Claudene wasn’t much for the parties. The first time I went to her home, she was sitting on a blanket in the backyard studying. I walked over and sat down. We talked about this and that, sharing a few pleasantries. For some reason, she threw a Tupperware glass and hit me right between the eyes. A few weeks later, we were dancing at a party and I told her I was going to marry her someday. She slapped me and walked away. Did I mention that while playing powderpuff football in high school and college, her girlfriends nicknamed her Killer Gilbreath? I mentioned to a few of my fraternity brothers that I thought Claudene was pretty special and that I might make a go for her. They all knew Claudene through their girlfriends and scoffed that there was no way that she would be putting up with me.
But one day we went to the beach. Padre Island. Thirty-some couples. Six of us riding together, we stopped at the last chance gas station for ice and drinks. I asked Claudene what she wanted. She said Dr Pepper. We guys went in and got the ice and beer. As we pulled away from the gas station I said Oh, I forgot your Dr Pepper. I told Denny to turn around. He scoffed, saying she could drink beer like the rest of us. He wouldn’t go back. I grabbed his shoulder and he finally turned around. At the beach we all pulled out big kites. Perfect winds. Perfect day. Claudene and I walked down the beach a ways from the gaggle and launched our kites. The dancing kites were mesmerizing. They pretty much flew themselves, occasionally dipping down almost skimming the waves. Sun behind our backs. Wonderful. Peaceful. Time kinda floated too. For the first time we talked about things. Our families. Our dreams. I had forgotten about going back for the Dr Pepper but Claudene hadn’t. We figured each other out a little and had fun and laughed a lot. We kinda blended and bonded, finding shelter from the storm, so to speak. We relaxed into each other. As time went on we got ‘dropped’ or ‘pinned’ and engaged.
Things picked up briskly after I went to Marine OCS Officer Candidate School in Quantico, Va. I found my stride, surprised at taking the lead in most everything. Every weekend I stood in a long line at the phone booth to call Claudene, a breath of fresh air from home. I completed OCS well and began my last semester, completing the official physicals and prep and scheduling to get commissioned the day I graduated. I started flight school immediately in Pensacola, Florida. There was a war on.
Our wedding was at Claudene’s church with her long-time pastor, Brother Ervin. My roommate Tommy was my best man and his wife Sue was Claudene’s bridesmaid. Claudene’s mom, Esther, and sisters, Janet and Diana, hosted the reception. Both of our families were there with an overflow of A&I friends.
Defying the odds, Claudene and I have had dinner together in person on every one of our fifty-six anniversaries. Several have been on another side of the world. Some have been formal and several have been soaked in the rain or heat of baseball or football or soccer stands. When you’re stationed in Florida or Hawaii or Japan, it’s ideal for extravagant anniversary celebrations. On our First anniversary I flew the T-28 in the morning, and we went to dinner in Pensacola that evening. Somewhere in there, Claudene got to taxi the T-28. Our Second anniversary was on a cruise ship moving our new Olds Cutlass and us to Hawaii. For the Third, Roy Orbison was at the Officers’ Club in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. The Fifth in Texas. The Sixth was in Iwakuni, Japan at the Officers Club. The kids have always been great, and for our Thirtieth they took us back to Hawaii.
On number Forty, we ducked out of town and headed south to retrace our Padre Island honeymoon. After dinner at the same place and dessert at the next same place, we arrived at 10:30 at Bob Hall Pier. Just like forty years earlier, it was packed with fishing gear and old men and women and parents and kids and dogs everywhere. We settled in with twelve fishermen with twenty-foot poles and at midnight helped them hoist an eight-foot Bull Shark up and onto the pier, twenty feet above the water. They looked at it lying there and said, “Now what?” On Forty-seven, we were racing down Hwy 377 to a game. I asked Claudene if this was Friday, she said yes. I asked if this was May 27th, she said yes. I said Happy Anniversary. She said Happy Anniversary. That was it.
For Fifty, we drove the Panoz in the Model T Club Tour of Palo Pinto County, had dinner later with the kids, then spent a few days with our new neighbors Ken and Jen at Padre Island.
For fifty-six last week, Claudene and I flew the Cirrus and serendipitously met up with a Northrop Grumman fighter pilot friend landing here in his new-to-him airplane like mine. We informed him he was going to help us celebrate our anniversary and took him to dinner at the Cresson Wrench Bar and Grill. We ended up with golden reminiscences till almost midnight with his stirring testimony, and Claudene comforting him on the recent death of his wife.
Anniversaries are good. We appreciate that you all reach out and make them special for us.
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Mom and Dad, happy happy anniversary! We will never fully understand this side of Heaven how meaningful your half-century-plus marriage is in our lives and in those around you. We love you and are cheering you on to many more.
