“Some folks were born to wave the flag,”
“Some folks inherit star spangled eyes.” — John Fogerty
I ain’t no fortunate son, naw, naw. Well, at least not in the sense that Fogerty spoke. My father was a farmer. He also co-owned a clothes cleaning business and did free-lance plumbing and electrical wiring work with his brother. He was a proud veteran of World War II, and when we visited the D-Day Museum in New Orleans, said that his favorite memory of the war was the receipt of his honorable discharge. My father crossed Europe in Patton’s Third Army and fought in the Battle of the Bulge.
Neither of my grandparents were alive when I reached the age of awareness, but because my father served for Patton, who served for Eisenhower, I guess only four degrees of separation exist between me and David Eisenhower, the author of Going Home to Glory: A Memoir of Life with Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1961 - 1969.
My father died the day after Veterans Day at age ninety-two — a fitting end to a great and honorable man who was never elected President, and the Etier legacy is secure with his accomplishments. Memories of my father are cherished and priceless. Not many men can say that their grandfather was President and that he himself married the daughter of another President. Life does not allow us to choose our ancestors and it’s probably a good thing.
David Eisenhower (the Presidential retreat in Maryland was named for him), along with his wife, Julie Nixon Eisenhower, has written a well researched and documented book about his grandfather — a man he had to share with the world. His story is of a warm, loving man who had many people to care about and was judicious with his love, affection, and time.
Article comments
1 - Alan Kurtz
As always, Blogcritics' crack editorial team is asleep at the switch. The subtitle of the book under review here is supposed to say "1961-1969," not "1691-1969." Am I the only one awake around here?
2 - doug m.
The way it is now would likely make for a much longer book
3 - Alan Kurtz
Too much of a good thing, though. I don't care who your grandfather is, hanging out with the guy for 278 years is at some point bound to get creepy.
4 - Bill Sherman
That editorial snafu was mine, and I've since corrected it. No doubt I was confusing this book with one of the myriad vampire novels out there.