John's Private Blog

2010-04-27T01:36:00.006-04:00

So Long Skipper

WILLIAM LARKIN

Photo from the Summit Aviation Open House, October 10th, 2003

William S. "Skip" Larkin II, Age 62, of Middletown, DE passed away peacefully on Thursday, April 22, 2010 at Heartland Hospice House in Wilmington, DE.

Born on a U.S. Air Force base in Japan on April 5, 1948 he was the son of the late Thelma (Anderson) and William S. Larkin, Sr. Skip proudly served his country in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. Upon honorable discharge from the military he continued to serve as a police officer in the State of Delaware for more than 20 years.

He was a lifetime member of Aetna Hose, Hook and Ladder Company in Newark, DE. Skip enjoyed restoring old cars, coaching his son's baseball teams and was an avid drum player. [And a member of the Conrad High School Alumni Marching Band !]

He is survived by his three loving sons, Skip Larkin of Maryville, IL, Robbie Larkin of Middletown, DE and Timothy Larkin of Houston, TX; two special grandchildren, Barrett and Jake Larkin of Maryville, IL; his wife, Robin Larkin of Middletown, DE; a sister, Phyllis Johnson of Wilmington, DE and his best friend, golden retriever, Penelope.

Funeral services will be held 11:30 am on Tuesday, April 27th at Daniels & Hutchison Funeral Home LLC, 212 N. Broad Street, Middletown, DE, where family and friends may visit Monday evening, April 26 from 7-9pm. Interment with military honors will be at Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Bear, DE.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Fraternal Order of Police, Newark Lodge # 4, P. O. Box 475, Newark, DE 19715-0475.

Arrangements by Daniels & Hutchison Funeral Home LLC, Middletown, DE
On-line condolences may be sent to:
www.daniels-hutchison.com 302-378-3410

[published 04/25/2010]

2010-04-16T01:06:00.001-04:00

141 Southbound at rush hour... what a mess.

2010-02-17T22:55:00.003-05:00

From the Archives... The 1970 Consolidated H. C. Conrad Area School Board

Dad was elected to the Krebs/Ritchie School Board in the late 60's then was incorporated into the Conrad Area School Board when the Conrad High School board was consolidated with the three feeder school boards, Krebs, Oak Grove, and Richardson Park. All members became voting members and were allowed to serve out their terms then run for the remaining seats on the Red Clay Consolidated School Board. I'm not sure of dates except that this photo was taken for the 1970 school year. Dad, Frank L. Davis, is center left, back row facing Cliff Stelle. Frank Broujos is second from the right, back row. Carl Simpson is third from right, back row. I recognize a few other faces but don't remember their names. I was 15 when this photo was taken. Dad was re-elected and served until I graduated in 1972. My high school diploma was signed by my Dad.

Click on the photo for the full resolution image.

2009-07-03T12:15:00.003-04:00

Three years ago

It's been three years since Mom passed away on July 2nd, 2006. I was thinking about the early years with the family in Fredonia and how we would look forward to spending a few days at Grandma's and Grandpa's. They were the only grandparents I really ever knew. I only met Dad's father once and although I do remember him and the livingroom of his house, the memory is very faint. Mom's parents Sara and Nicholas became for me the definition of grandparents.

The house is still there and it still looks the same -- same paint, same bushes, same barn. Google Streetview captures it during a recent October with gray skies and orange leaves on the neighborhood trees. I can remember after nine hours in the back seat of the black '58 Impala, finally arriving at the driveway and coming to a slow stop in front of the red barn looking for Grandma to open the back door and greet us. The pine tree, the gravel driveway, the clapboard siding, the painted wood steps... all very clear. The house looks smaller now because I was only a little guy at the time. It looked like an old mansion with the open front porch and wide steps.

We'd head straight for the candy drawer in the kitchen - a special place Grandma kept stocked with hard candy and candy bars right at eye level for grandkids my size. Grandma would have been cooking all day before we arrived and the smell of her special pizza, homemade bread and olive oil traveled through the whole house. The pizza was baked in a rectangular pan, cut into squares and always served at room temperature. Aunt Rose and Aunt Louise in their simple conservative colored dresses would be coming down the Persian runner covered stairs from their 2nd floor apartment to greet us. Everyone was smiling and very happy to see each other. We always arrived in the late afternoon so dinner was not too far off. We all ate at the table in the kitchen with the AM radio playing Italian or Polish music just barely perceptible in the background. Grampa would be sitting at the end of the table with his little glass of Cribari red wine. It was a happy place. Thanks Mom.

2009-06-06T09:56:00.016-04:00

Today is the 65th anniversary of D-Day. Dad was there in a C-47 loaded down with gear and a parachute strapped to his back. When the time came to jump -- standing in the door for that split second, anti-aircraft fire exploding all around, he was hit with his first piece of shrapnel. It tore through his eyebrow just over his left eye but spared his sight. Like most of the 101st Airborne paratroopers, he landed alone in a field surrounded by hedgerows. But he still had his weapon and shortly after landing, met two other paratroopers from a mortar squad. Carrying only the mortar base, they quickly abandoned it and moved to find others. But they did not find other allies for two days nor did they wait for orders from superior officers. They took action on their own.

Shortly after leaving their landing field, they ran into a column of German troop trucks. Hiding behind the hedgerow, they took up positions on either side of the road. In the road was a large depression that had filled with water. Noticing that the drivers would slow down to gauge the depth of the water, they waited for the next truck to come by. When it slowed down, the three paratroopers threw grenades into the cab and fired into the canvas covered bed. None of the Germans survived. This was Dad's first action on D-Day.

He would go on to make his second wartime jump in the Market Garden liberation of Holland, fight and be wounded a second time in the early hours of the Battle of the Bulge, be captured by the Nazis when the 101st field hospital was overrun, spend four months in several POW camps, then be liberated by Patton's 3rd Armored.

Listen to Eisenhower's address to the troops the evening before the invasion.

An NBC report of the Airborne landings.

Reporter Wright Bryan describes his ride on C-47 named "Snooty" during the D-Day invasion with American Paratroopers. Where's "Snooty" today?

Listen to the CBS D-Day Radio Report. Another. A third.

Listen to the NBC D-Day Radio Report.

A World News report recorded over short wave radio.

An NBC report later in the day about how reporters were kept busy before the invasion.

Richard C. Hottelet's broadcast and eye-witness account from the air.

Six hours after the invasion.

Consider that while the world was hearing these reports, Frank Davis was on the ground "taking it to the Germans".

2009-05-04T08:46:00.002-04:00

May 4th would have been Mom and Dad's 63nd wedding anniversary. It was always a special date for us. Happy Anniversary.
This photo was taken at Uncle Ray's home in Syracuse.

2009-04-03T19:43:00.013-04:00

Google Maps Streetview of the Homestead.
...and the kids across the street.
Even caught Ken working on the lawn.

2009-03-31T12:36:00.011-04:00


	March Bank at Winterthur on the last day of March !

2009-03-25T22:13:00.007-04:00

Honor Flight Flys

Veterans to the

World War II Memorial

Honor Flight is a program to fly veterans to the WWII Memorial at no cost to the Vets. View the Honor Flight web site and consider making a donation to this worthy cause.

2009-02-09T07:00:00.003-05:00

Today is Dad's Birthday, Mom's is Valentines' Day.

Thinking of you both.

2009-02-05T15:55:00.025-05:00

Lives -- Too Short

Mom and Dad lived extraordinary lives and were so close to each other in so many ways. Something I've been wondering about since they passed away on calendar dates very near to the other is how close were their lifespans.

Mom was born on Valentines' Day, 1922
Dad was born on February 9th the following year, 1923.

Mom passed away on July 2nd, 2006.
Dad passed away on June 3th, 2007.

Mom lived 30820 days.
Dad lived 30795 days.

After 84 years, Mom lived 25 days longer than Dad.
They were married for 22,310 days.

Neither lived long enough. They deserved many, many more days together.

2008-12-27T21:18:00.003-05:00

Click on the photo for a full resolution view.

SFC Todd Taylor

Visit the TAPS 150 Facebook page

Updated: 1/11/2010

2008-12-21T22:32:00.000-05:00

The 101st Airborne Memorial, Arlington Cemetery, at Christmas 2008.

2008-09-30T17:44:00.021-04:00

This re-enactment video clip of the 101st Airborne's Operation Market Garden landing in Drop Zone "C" was sent to me by my good friends Dorien and her father Jan van den Hurk... I met Dorien and her father last year when I had the opportunity to visit Son, just North of Eindhoven. Dorien witnessed the re-enactment and sent me this video taken with her cellphone camera. 12 paratroopers jumped from the C-47 "Dakota". Holland is anticipating the 65th anniversary next year with a big celebration. In the clip, you can hear Dorien's son Rico shouting "Hi Grandpa" ("he opa").

The drop zone was in Mr. Overveld's backyard. He was 15 when the paratroopers landed in 1944 and remembers giving the soldiers water as they moved towards the highway later to be known as "Hell's Highway". Sometime around 1995, as he was plowing his field, the plow caught on something under the surface. He stopped and unearthed this parachute still in extraordinarily good condition. Shown here are Mr. Van den Hurk, Mr. Overveld, and Dorien Verhoeven-van den Hurk.

If you are fans of the 101st, you'll recognize Mr. Overveld's home.

This is the plaque placed into the side of Mr. Overveld's house by Company "E", the "Band of Brothers". Dad was in Company "A".

2008-09-22T00:39:00.021-04:00

The aviation photos continue. Saturday, September 20th was opening day for the Millville, New Jersey Airshow. This year, the crowd was sequestered at the new race track adjacent to the airport. The flight line was farther away than at the Dover airbase which made photography challenging. The lens choice was the same I used for the six mile distance to the space shuttle-- the 100-400 zoom with a 2X converter giving it a top range of 800mm. With the full-frame sensor on the Mark II, it brings in the aircraft but disables auto-focus. Out of about 600 images, only about 20 were usable and even a few of those are soft. Anyway, it was great weather and there were plenty of warbirds. I did miss the 17. It did not participate this year. I'm posting this photo now for a gentleman I met at the show who's friend Chris Shipe's Uncle flew the Avenger. Mr. Art Shipe, now 88 years young, flew the Avenger off of the carrier USS Bunker Hill and in 1944, Life Magazine photographer W. Eugene Smith did a photo essay on the war from Mr. Shipe's plane. I'm fortunate to hear of, and to meet through this acquaintance, another of our country's great heroes. More photos to be posted soon of the P-51, PBY, and one of the B-24's.

The SNJ-6 performing a loop with smoke.

The PBY flying off into history.

Another shot of the SNJ-6

2008-08-26T13:48:00.004-04:00

On the way home from work, I turned the corner at Basin Road to Rt 13 rounding the curve around the Wilmington Airport when I spotted an aircraft in the distance. Over the landing lights at Hare's corner, it was just about a mile away. The airplane looked familiar but it wasn't the C-130's and it was too big to be a biz jet. It landed and went out of sight behind all of the buildings that totally block the view of the runway from the road. I was curious but decided to just keep heading home. Just then, something caught my eye up and to the left. I couldn't believe what I saw but a B-24 Liberator landing over my head. That's when I decided to turn around and find out what was going on at the airport. When I pulled into the arport parking lot, I saw handwritten signs for "Wings of Freedom" tour taped to a lightpost and followed them into a parking lot behind the airport.

Parked on the tarmac were the B-17 and the B-24. The engines were off and the planes were empty... done for the day. So I pulled the camera out and walked around the aircraft until the organizers looked like they were ready to go home. I'm sure they had had a long day so I took one last shot and walked back to the truck. As is typical on any shoot, the last image was the best one of the bunch.

You can follow the barnstorming warbirds by clicking on the Wings of Freedom link above.

2008-08-24T12:58:00.003-04:00

On Sunday, August 24th, I had the privilege of flying with my next door neighbor Don Anthony. He owns two airplanes, one being this T-6 trainer built in 1942. It has been totally rebuilt twice and looks as if it was just delivered to the Army Air Corp. The last owner had it refurbished and painted to match the colors used by the Naval Air Corp during the war in the Pacific. The airbrushed transitions from dark to light blue make this a unique and beautiful aircraft.

We flew from Summit airfield to Millville airport in Southern New Jersey. The ceiling was just above 3,000 feet, the air was clear and sunny. The big radial engine purrs and was not as noisy as I expected.

After eating lunch at the Millville airport restaurant, we spent an hour at the Millville Army Air Field Museum. If you get the chance, visit the museum. The Millville field was a training base for P-47s during WWII and the museum has a great deal of memorabilia on display. There is no entry fee but donations are welcomed. I was surprised to see Dad's photograph on the wall in a display of POWs. They had the Stars and Stripes photo of newly-freed GIs standing in front of the boxcars painted with POW on the roof. I pointed out Dad's image to Don and the museum staff. The museum was impressive.

After the tour, we flew at 2,000 feet over the Delaware River back to Summit. Before landing, we had to buzz our Back Creek neighborhood and I got some great photos from the open back seat canopy. This photo has been left at full resolution. Click on it to get the full size image. To see a "PhotoSynth" of the flyover photos, click here.
We also flew over the Chespeake Inn to check out the activity on "The Deck".

2008-08-17T22:36:00.023-04:00

The Old Neighborhood is Changing

If you remember driving past the Homestead heading back towards the Sears Warehouse on MacArthur, you'll remember this tree... It's now only a memory. Maryann is in a nursing home now. Daughter Cindy (lower right) and her husband have moved in with their son (on the sidewalk under the tree). Cindy's first visible renovation was to remove the tree. [click on the photos to enlarge]

Before
After

But here's the other surprise...No hedge.

2008-05-15T13:56:00.003-04:00

Another of those special emails...

Only great minds can read this.

fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid too.

Cna yuo raed tihs? Olny 55 plepoe out of 100 can.

i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? Yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt! If you can raed tihs forwrad it

2008-05-15T13:49:00.002-04:00

Received this in one of those emails you occasionally get:

"I was walking past the mental hospital the other day, and all the
patients were shouting ,'13....13....13'

The fence was too high to see over, but I saw a little gap in the planks
and looked through to see what was going on.

Some bastard poked me in the eye with a stick.
Then they all started shouting, '14....14....14'... "

Good for a chuckle!

2008-05-04T23:39:00.007-04:00

May 4th would have been Mom and Dad's 62nd wedding anniversary. I knew if I placed one arrangement on Dad's side, Mom would have said "Hey! Where are mine?!" so they each got their own arrangement.

Sunday was a beautiful, sunny Spring day.

2008-04-26T12:15:00.012-04:00

Sifting through some of the old boxes in the basement, I found this Ektachrome deep in a pile of old photos and negatives... Taken at Jamaica's Montego Beach in 1974 with a Yashica range finder, it was always one of my most memorable photos for subject, composure and exposure in very difficult lighting conditions. She'll remain unnamed for now. When the group returned home from this high school trip, I gave her a 20x30 print. After 34 years, I wonder if she still has it. (c)2008 davis custom digital,llc

2008-04-24T18:22:00.002-04:00

Chevrolet is making a donation to Autism Speaks every time this video is played. Please check it out and help the cause...

Click here to view the video:

2008-01-09T19:14:00.001-05:00

We visited Arlington on Saturday, December 29th, to close out 2007. The marker had been placed sometime in August and we had not yet seen it. Time slips by so fast. The engraving was as I had requested... with the addition of Dad's 101st Airborne designation of which he was so proud. Mom is with him and her inscription is on the other side. This is the ultimate in togetherness... forever. Just as they both would have wanted.

The letters "PH & OLC" signifies Dad's Purple Heart and an Oak Leaf Cluster. The Oak Leaf Cluster was awarded as recognition for being wounded a second time in combat. The first time was when he was hit by anti-aircraft flak as he was jumping out of the C-47 on D-Day on June 6th, 1944. The second was for his wounds at the Battle of the Bulge that led to his capture when the 101st Division Field Hospital was overrun on December 19th, 1944.

2007-08-25T17:42:00.000-04:00

Last week while Bob, Chris and I were cleaning out the garage, we came upon a surprise. In an old bird seed bag was one of the few souvenirs Dad had from his active service days. We believe it is a D-Day-era parachute but we don't know its history.

It's dated 1944 and manufactured by the Irving Air Chute Company, Inc., Lexington, Kentucky. They were the original suppliers of the 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions. The control lines have all been removed at about 24 inches below the canopy suggesting this was a used or rejected unit made unusable for further service.

2007-08-25T17:37:00.000-04:00

I received a simple postcard today from Arlington Cemetery stating that the headstone has been installed. It was postmarked August 23rd. I suppose this is the last penny postcard Dad (and Mom) will receive. It will be made a permanent part of their extensive collection.

2007-08-04T10:22:00.000-04:00

A Tornado in Back Creek???

Friday evening, July 27th, a strong line of thunderstorms passed through the Northeast. This ominous cell overtook the neighborhood and for the next half hour, pelted us with rain, hail, and swirling winds. The tree at the left is now gone as are several others from all over the development.

The image is a frame captured from a digital video.

2007-07-04T08:49:00.000-04:00

Monday, July 2nd was the first anniversary of Mom's passing. Lisa and I placed a small vase of red, white and blue flowers on the grave site. The temporary markers are still there waiting for the headstone to be completed.

2007-06-28T13:29:00.001-04:00

Mom and Dad were interred at Arlington National Cemetery on Monday, June 25th just after 2pm. I will post video and photos as they become available. For the record, the grave site is: Section 54, Grave 3627. It is within visual distance of the administration building and an easy walk from the parking lot.

As of this morning, the headstone text has not been finalized. Dad's POW status was not included on the paperwork given to the Arlington staff so I emailed to them a different document that mentioned his release from a prison camp.

Once there is agreement on the headstone, it will take about a month to deliver and set at the site. I'll let everyone know the schedule as it becomes more certain.

2007-06-20T17:34:00.000-04:00

After a very short letter to the funeral home, Dad's obituary has been posted to the News Journal web site: http://miva.delawareonline.com/miva/cgi-bin/miva?obits.mv+69582

It is dated June 20, 2007.

2007-06-13T11:06:00.000-04:00

This is the back of the prayer card. Bob drafted the first version keying on words found in the 101st Airborne Quarterly changing a few things. Chad and I changed a few more. I think it turned out beautifully. The front of the card was fittingly an eagle superimposed over the flag.

Do Not Forget Me

Tho’ the years have passed so swiftly,

With an open heart and open mind

I’ve watched all of you

My family

Grow into men and women.

My love for you has never waned

Tho’ the grass grows above me

The warmth of the earth surrounds.

I have been with you so short a time

But I will be with you forever

Do not forget me.

2007-06-13T11:01:00.000-04:00

Chad had a very special relationship with Dad and Mom. They all had extraordinary impacts on each other's lives.

This is Chad's eulogy for Dad.

IN LOVING MEMORY OF

FRANK L. Davis

By Chadwick Boyd

February 9, 1923 - June 3, 2007

His name was Frank, Lester, Lec, Dave, Davis. He was Honey…Dad…Grandpa. He was a son, a brother, a husband, a father, a grandfather. He was a friend, a neighbor, a leader, a teacher. He was an engineer, a jokester, an artist…a magician. To me, he was everything.

I met him when I was three…and it was kismet from the very beginning. I was a little boy, gregarious and determined, with a big smile and a lot to say, but without a full voice. I was full of potential. And he saw it at the start.

For the next 32 years, without condition, he worked hard –teaching me. Guiding me. Inspiring me. Loving me. Molding and shaping me into the man I am today. It’s a gift that I still am learning to fully understand and appreciate. And a gift that I am now entrusted with to share with others – to change the world in my own way – for good.

Grandpa is why I do what I do today. To be the expressionist I was born to be. To tell stories that help people. To encourage them to be better. To be the best that they can be. To live their best lives.

He pushed me to be courageous. To believe in myself…no matter what anyone else said. He pushed me – sometimes really hard – to “Do it. Do it. DO IT!!” (he would always say that). And he was fearless. Something that I always admired in him. He had fire in his eyes…behind this extraordinary glow of life. He truly loved living – every day…and making every day special…in simple – yet BIG – ways…for others.

Grandpa had a way of creating magic. All of you know that Grandpa was all about Christmas. One year, when I was about 8 or 9 in mid-December, I was sick. So Grandpa went out and bought a Christmas tree by himself. He brought it home to Grandma and me. It seemed small to us – strange for a man who LIVED for a big Christmas tree.

I was soooo disappointed. Disheartened. Christmas would never be the same. It was ruined. I went to bed, deflated, thinking “this is the worst Christmas tree ever! How could MY grandfather – Mr. Christmas – pick out the ugliest tree?!” The holiday was over.

When I awoke the next morning, Grandpa was already up and going. As I got out of bed, he stood by his bedroom door, waiting for me to head toward the kitchen. As I turned down the hallway, cringing a bit for fear of seeing that blasted ugly tree, I was STUNNED! I looked up, and before me was THE MOST BEAUTIFUL TREE! My eyes bugged out of my head; my mouth dropped to the floor…I gasped for breath. “GRANDPA! What happened? Did Santa Claus bring a tree overnight???!!! Did you go out and buy another tree??!!” Both Grandma and Grandpa belly laughed at my reaction. And Grandpa beamed with excitement and pride.

You see, Grandpa knew how disappointed I was when I went to bed that night. But, he saw the potential in the tree. So, he stayed up all night…twisting branches from front to back. Tying them with twine and rubber bands from one side to another. He drilled holes in the trunk and moved branches from top to bottom. All to create the perfect Christmas tree – just for me. For everyone.

And he delighted in the moment the next morning when I saw the transformed Christmas tree in sheer awe.

It was then in that moment that I learned that it was in the giving of the gift that was so special. It was the thought behind it. Therein lived the magic. The spirit of life.

Grandpa lived a life creating magic for everyone. He LIVED for it. He created a 9’ handmade Eagle to make earning the Eagle Scout honor worthy and special for 101 young men. He ingeniously made by hand – from a pattern out of a children’s’ coloring book – a Santa sleigh, eight reindeer and a Rudolph with a blinking red light bulb for a nose that brought joy to the hearts of children young and old – for more than 40 years. He made popcorn balls, concrete marble lights, handmade birthday cards, rubber banded everythings(!), a patented “Rocket to the Moon” board game, Whiskey sours – his “slushes,” reinforcement rod tree houses…and so many more magical things that ALL OF US here in this room and beyond could continue to list. And he prided in being in the moment when we experienced his creations.

My uncle, Glenn, sent me this note when he heard the news about Grandpa’s passing. It says a lot about how prolific Grandpa’s good deeds, his teachings, his expressions of love, his moments of magic meant to so many – those whom we know and those we never will.

“I am very sad to hear this news. Your Grandfather was an exceptional person. You are very fortunate to have had such a person in your life. Knowing him has been a true blessing for me as well. He was a role model to me as I matured and will continue to be a role model as (my son) Cole's scouting career takes off, with me as Cub Master. I could listen to his stories for hours on end. I will miss him greatly. I'm sure that he is now reunited with his true love, Clare, and all of his pain is gone. I think of him often, even today, since it is the 63rd anniversary of D-Day.

Unfortunately, we cannot attend the services on Saturday, but I will honor him by continuing with a leadership role in Scouts.”

There probably are a litany of others who have a personal story like my uncle’s…many of you, I’m sure…about how Grandpa touched their lives…and encouraged them to be better. Where he created magic for them. And inspired them to make a difference in their own way in their lives and the lives of others.

My friend, Ron Clark, writes in his book,

The Essential 55:

“To me, life is all about experiences, the ones you make for yourself and the ones you make for others. As a teacher and a person, I have tried to give special moments to people.”

I believe that. I know Grandpa did, too.

If I have done nothing else in what I shared with you about Grandpa today, I do hope that it has inspired you to make more of a difference in the lives of children. Guide them as they grow…hug them…tell them that all things are possible…as my grandfather did…show them in every way possible that they are cared for, and make special moments for them that will add magic to their lives, motivate them to make a difference in the lives of others, and, most importantly, teach them to love life.

My grandfather, Grandpa, surely did.

2007-06-11T14:47:00.000-04:00

We had the funeral for Dad on Saturday. There were dozens of memories arrayed among the flowers and photos. Eulogies were given by Chad, Uncle Ray and me. Chad will post his somewhere in the future. Uncle Ray's was not written before hand but was nicely done. This is mine.

My Dad

Thank you all for coming together today to celebrate Dad's extraordinary life; a life of honor and an incredible drive to make each day better than the day before. Thanks too to the staff here at Doherty Funeral Home. Their professionalism makes this difficult task so much easier to bear. Jim taught us how it's done with our first experience only 11 months ago. Mike took good care of us this time. So we thank them for their caring and assistance.

I've dreaded this day for so long but here it is. After Mom's death less than one year ago, I thought we would have some time for Dad. After all, he was pretty worn out taking such good care of Mom while recovering from his own broken leg and pacemaker implant... and continuing to endure dialysis every other day. But that was not to be. Cancer came roaring into our lives and in three short months, he was gone. Like I say to the irritation of Maryellen and Lisa, "All time happens at the same moment. We are simply too simple to understand it."

=============

How do you sum up a life?

How do you express your gratitude for a lifetime of love that was totally unconditional?

How do you say goodbye to your best friend? A friend that is always there no matter what... never too busy to come to your aid and never asking for anything in return.

=============

For all of the struggle with Mom and her failing health, Dad never complained once about taking care of her; getting anything she needed; jumping up from the couch every 5 or 10 minutes to fetch the next cup of coffee or glass of water. His face never showed even the slightest reluctance but only concern and compassion for his "Honey". Her passing was hard for Dad but he was strong. For the next six months, he would fall asleep with Mom's picture sitting on his chest. But dialysis kept him busy. Three times each week and doctor's appointments sprinkled in between left him little time for boredom. Virginia would be there every morning at 8:30 to get "Her Man" up, cleaned and dressed by 10:00 so he could motor out to the paratransit bus. Virginia was a true member of the family having taken care of Mom for a time too. After getting Dad ready, she would get Mom something to eat and sit with her for a while. "Some of your time" is what Mom cherished most. Waiting for Dad to return after dialysis made a very long day of boring mid-day television.

Thank you Virginia for being such a good friend to both of our parents when they needed someone they could depend on and trust. (Dad just loved buying her a cheesecake and watching her face light up when she opened the fridge!)

==================

Dad was a true role model. As a youngster, I would play army man with my toy rifles and pistols but I knew Dad had been a real army man. Although he never talked about it, Mom would talk about how handsome Dad looked in his Army uniform and on rare occasions we would be allowed to look at his 101st Airborne books that had a panoramic picture of "A" Company with him standing tall in the middle of the photo. Dad was also pretty fast with his hands and especially his feet. He would wrestle the two of us and not even use his hands. He could throw knives from 60 feet and make them stick in any tree he wanted. He told stories of trapping muskrat, beaver and rabbits and selling the pelts to the fur trader from Sears and Roebuck. There was also the story of how he impressed Mom by shooting a pheasant through the throat at 100 yards so it wouldn't make any noise and alert the neighbors. He was the kind of hero you heard about in the movies... except this was my Dad!

============

When Mom died, Dad became my anchor. We kept Mom close by remembering her at every turn. Her clothes still hang in the closet. Dad was just beginning to talk about finding someone who would appreciate her sweaters and sending whatever was still usable to Goodwill. We had a few good months. We even went to Bethany Beach the day after Mom's funeral just to shake off some of the gloom. That trip was incredible. Uncle Ray, Cousin Mark and his new bride Laurel went along to make the day so much more special. Dad loved the smell of the ocean and visiting our old house on 2nd Street. Mom, Bob and I called it home during the Summers Dad was working on Rt. 1 and rebuilding the jetties at Bethany. The woman living there even invited Dad in so he could stand in the place he called home for three wonderful years. We spent several hours in Bethany, had coffee on the boardwalk, then shaved ice, and bought carmel corn... Chad couldn't go with us that day so we bought him some too....

Bethany became our Summer vacation spot. We didn't go to "The Shore" or vacation in some far-off place, we went to Bethany. That day became even more special when we stopped at Rehoboth which was always a tradition with us. On our weekend trips to Bethany, Dad would ease the transition between fun and the return to Newport by spending a few hours in Rehoboth to enjoy the sounds and lights of the boardwalk. On this trip, Uncle Ray pushed Dad who was riding in his wheel chair while Mark, Laurel and I followed behind. We couldn't keep up with them because Ray was running pushing Dad out ahead. Well... this was quite a spectacle as you might imagine. A 90-year old running up and down the boardwalk pushing an 83-year old in a wheelchair.

As the sun dropped over the bay, the lights on the boardwalk became brighter and the carnival atmosphere (and Ray!) lifted Dad's spirits. Heading South on the boardwalk, we began to hear music - Big Band music. Well it was the Tim Laushey Orchestra playing in the new bandshell so we wheeled Dad into a good spot and watched the show. There were these two bouncing children dancing to the music -- Connor and Cameron. Amy was there so we spent the rest of the night watching and listening. After the show, I wheeled Dad up the ramp to see Tim before leaving for home. Tim immediately introduced Dad to Elliot, the clarinet player who was also a prisoner during the war. He and Dad struck up a conversation and discovered that they were POWs in the same prison camp. The stories flew back and forth. They both enjoyed the chance to exchange experiences with someone who "was there".

=============

Dad had many names. To us he was simply "Dad". Mom called him "Dave" because his military buddies called him Dave on V-J night, the night they met. "Dave" also worked for the neighbors from Pleasant Hills who were influenced by Mom. Most of his family from Ohio called him "Lec" but some still called him "Lester". Everyone from the construction companies called him "Frank" as did the folks from his days on the school board and scouting -- and it was always Mr. Davis from the scouts. Grandchildren called him Grandpa. Michelle shortened it later to "Gramps". Then there were the occasional adopted grandchildren... Scotty, Brian and Tommy, and a few others that called him "Silver Dollar Dave". Dad was big on giving Christmas gifts of unusual currency. First it was the big silver dollars. He gave them instead of paper money because he knew that few of them would be spent. When the silver dollars became hard to find, he switched to two dollar bills, then to Sacajawea gold dollars, then to packs of ones. Last Christmas, it was dollar coins. And every year, the packaging had to be interesting too. Tall olive jars, little gold baskets, or fancy gift boxes. Gifts from Dad were creative inside and out. There had to be something special wrapped in something special. Dad always made life interesting at every turn and he did it for everyone who's lives he touched.

==========

From time to time, the family would grow a little. There was the "Jerry" era when Jerry Smuzynski, who was the same age as Bob, would deliver papers early in the morning. After his paper route, he would come to the house and join us for breakfast before heading off to school.

Darrell was another addition. He was like a little brother to us and Dad would spend hours with him.

Michelle lived with Mom and Dad for a time, then Brian took a turn.

Tim also spent a few weeks at the house and got to know Mom and Dad as family. Amy and Kiersten grew up with Mom and Dad in their lives because I was always 'over there'.

Mom and Dad adopted Chad as a son and grandson all at the same time. Chad's favorite photo says it all. When Chad went to the University of North Carolina, I remember Dad sitting in his corner chair writing letters to Chad on cash register paper... yards of it! He would roll the paper back up and send it to Chad in a box.

Lisa came into their lives and it was a special relationship from the start. Christmas meant sitting in the sleigh, the reindeer and the glowing inside tree. She has her own Christmas Stocking that is her favorite part of Christmas morning.

==========

Dad had no real vices except working long hours. Dad never smoked although Mom did until the early 60s. I can remember the tin ashtrays with the beanbag bottoms sitting around the house -- but there were no ashes lying around... or dust either. The house was always clean. Mom promised to quit if Bob and I promised to never start smoking. I guess we agreed to the promise but smoking was never appealing to either of us so that was an easy win! Mom quit cold-turkey and never smoked again. Dad always made a point of saying how proud he was of her for quitting and sticking to it.

Dad never drank except for a beer once in a while. Miller High Life was his beer when he did have one. It was bitter to me... never liked it. He never drank hard liquor that I can remember. The closest he got was his "Slush" at Christmas time. He was rather famous for his frozen whiskey sours making two or three big batches at every Christmas. Dad would make at least one batch for me to take home every year. When I'd be up late at night working on some computer problem, I'd get my slush container out of the freezer and wake everyone up shaving the ice into a glass with a big metal spoon. In all the years that Dad made his whiskey sours, he never wrote down his recipe. Wayne Raile is the only person we know of to have had it. So I can't wait for Wayne to perfect it. Christmas time would be the perfect time to do taste tests !

==========

Dad was about getting the job done -- no matter what. After we built the house in Middletown, Maryellen, Lisa and I were away, it was one of our longer trips over two weekends... Yellowstone I think. I had asked Dad to mow the lawn with the riding mower. It was a fairly easy job with the rider and he had a key to the house so I didn't think the request to be too difficult to pull off. When we arrived home, the lawn was mowed and all seemed well. We called to let Mom and Dad know we had arrived home safely and Dad mentioned that he couldn't get the key to the garage to work. So I asked how he got the riding lawn mower out of the garage. He said he didn't use the rider. After the key wouldn't work, he drove home, got his own push-mower, lifted it into the trunk of the '86 Chevy, drove back to Middletown and use it to mow the 3/4 acre lawn. Dad always seemed to have a plan "B".

In 1961, the family moved into the 'homestead' after only six years on Tennessee Avenue. Of course, this was an exciting time for all of us but especially for Dad. The new house was full of possibilities. He was upset that the foundation was dug square to MacArthur Drive rather than angled toward the intersection. Dad wanted room to add a garage to the side of the house later when the family finances had improved. But the builder set the house so that there was no room for the garage. Not giving in, he turned sure disappointment into some quick wheeling and dealing. Dad was able to negotiate the garage behind the house instead of alongside like all the other homes, a connecting roof and concrete floor, and the circular driveway. From that new configuration came the breezeway that he was so proud of, and the handmade patio with concrete circles and a wall made of pink and white quartz. He made sure his boys were involved helping him mix concrete and giving us each our own circle with hand and footprints captured in 1965.

===========

In October last year, Dad's struggles became more intense when he had severe pain between his shoulder blades. Whatever the cause of the pain, he was in the right place -- the Christiana ER. He experienced ventricular fibrillation.. an uneven heartbeat that leads to immediate unconsciousness. Bob and I were there with him and we called out for help. Within seconds, there were over 20 people crowded around the bed working on Dad. Two minutes of manual CPR with no results, they resorted to the defib paddles. That did it. He was back and fighting to get off the bed to go home. He was sedated and sent to the ICU where he stayed for three days -- including the breathing tubes. Towards the end of this ordeal, I remember Dad trying to communicate with the tubes down his throat. He was becoming frustrated because he couldn't speak to me even though I was only inches away. I suppose my face showed my helplessness. He saw that I was getting upset and he did an amazing thing --- he settled down, smiled as best he could and gave me a wink to say that everything would be okay.

He did the very same thing last Sunday night.

==============

Building, creating, teaching... That has to be his legacy. Building not only four lane highways, countless neighborhood roads, parking lots, quartz walls and concrete patios, but creating men from boys. He did it with his sons and grandchildren and he did it for countless other boys through scouting. An amazing leader, he was able to organize hundreds of people over the years to do better, do more, and take action.

His life was bigger than life.

He was a hero in every respect.

He was my Dad.

2007-06-08T11:55:00.000-04:00

Frank L. Davis

February 9, 1923 – June 3, 2007

Frank L. “Dave” Davis, peacefully died on Sunday, June 3. He was 84.

Mr. Davis was born in Greenford, OH on February 9, 1923. He was the son of Leona Seubert and Harvey L. Davis, a clay miner, of Canfield, OH, and one of seven children. Frank is survived by the youngest and the eldest, his sister, Wilda Weaver (75) of Evansville, IN, and brother, Raymond Davis (90) of Syracuse, NY.

Mr. Davis lived a simple, yet extraordinary life. As a young man, he skillfully earned money for the family by trapping pelts for Sears & Roebuck and delivering the Grit newspaper. He graduated from Canfield High School in 1940 and was employed by the Erie Railroad as a plumber’s helper before enlisting in the U.S. Army's newest unit, the airborne infantry, in November 1942.

Mr. Davis was assigned to the 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101^st Airborne Division. Injured on his third qualification jump, he was reassigned to Company "A", 506th PIR following his recuperation. On June 6, 1944 – D-Day, he jumped into Normandy in support of the Allied invasion of Europe. On September 17, he participated in Operation Market Garden parachuting into Holland near Son. On December 19th in Belgium while leading his squad to destroy a German 88 anti-aircraft battery, Staff Sgt. Davis was severely wounded. Recovered by Corpsmen and evacuated to the 101st Division Field Hospital, he was captured by German forces when the hospital was overrun in the opening hours of the Battle of the Bulge. Transported into Germany, he was held in captivity for 99 days and pressed into forced labor repairing bomb-cratered roads and recovering civilian casualties from destroyed buildings. Locked in a cattle car for eight days by retreating German forces, he was freed by a tank squadron from Patton's 3rd Army. After a brief stay in a Paris hospital, Mr. Davis returned home to be reunited with his family and a long recovery. Mr. Davis was awarded the Purple Heart with One Oak Leaf Cluster.

While a Prisoner of War, Axis Sally read Sgt. Davis' name and hometown over shortwave radio in a propaganda broadcast that was heard by amateur radio monitors here in the States. His family received dozens of comforting penny post cards telling them this news, the first news of Sgt. Davis in over four months. The generosity of these people inspired Mr. Davis to begin a research project to identify as many short wave monitors as possible. Working together throughout the 1990's, Mr. and Mrs. Davis catalogued 429 monitors who were true Homefront Heroes. This research will be finished by the family and will be gifted to a national museum.

On August 15, 1945, V-J Day, while celebrating America's victory over Japan in the streets of Cleveland, Ohio, Mr. Davis met the love of his life, Clara Gugino. It was a storybook romance that began with a fateful kiss and endured for more than 60 years. They married in Fredonia, NY on May 4, 1946. Mrs. Davis passed away in July, 2006.

Under the GI Bill, Mr. Davis attended Tri-State College in Angola, IN, served as President of the Civil Engineering Society and earned B.S. degrees in Civil Engineering and Administrative Engineering. Upon graduation, Mr. Davis and his young bride moved to Newport, DE to work for The DuPont Company at the Engineering Department's temporary facilities over the Diver Chevrolet building on Delaware Avenue in Wilmington. A year later, he opted to work outdoors, and for the next 39 years served as a civil engineer for the Henry C. Eastburn and R.A. Boyer construction companies. Mr. Davis was the sole civil engineer for the 11-mile stretch of U.S. Route 1 between Dewey and Bethany beaches as well as the Valley Forge / U.S. 202 interchange. He also led the re-building of the Bethany Beach jetties after the March 1962 "Nor'easter." In 1961, Mr. Davis was granted a U.S. patent for inventing a “Rocket to the Moon” game board.

Mr. Davis was a dedicated community leader. In 1965, he volunteered as Cub Master of Pack 88 in Newport, rebuilding the Pack from 18 boys to 81 over the next six years. Moving to Boy Scouts with his sons, and with his loving encouragement, both sons became Eagle Scouts. Noting the absence of a memorable Eagle award ceremony, Mr. Davis designed and built a 9' eagle ceremonial display and traveled throughout the Del-Mar-Va region, making Eagle award ceremonies special occasions for 101 young men. For his exceptional service to scouting, Mr. Davis was awarded the Order of the Arrow Vigil Honor and the Silver Beaver Award. Mr. Davis also served on the Krebs School Board in Newport and later as President of the Conrad Area School Board from 1968-1972. Friends in the Newport community know Mr. Davis by his handmade Christmas display of Santa's sleigh, eight reindeer and Rudolph with the blinking red nose arranged in the front yard for the last 43 years. Many children will always cherish their photos taken while sitting in the sleigh.

Mr. Davis is survived by his two sons and their families, Robert L. and Carol Davis, of Bear, DE, and their children, Christopher L. and Leslie Davis, both of Sylvania, OH, Michelle L. Davis, of Houston, and Brian C. and Anne Marie Davis, of Fallston, MD; and John M. and Maryellen Davis, and Lisa M. Rickert, of Middletown, DE, and Chadwick Boyd, of Atlanta. Mr. Davis has written of his military experiences and favorite stories for a book he calls "Caged Eagle". The family will complete this work in his memory.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, June 9, at the DOHERTY FUNERAL HOME, 3200 Limestone Road, Wilmington, DE 19808. The family will receive visitors at 11:30 a.m., with a memorial service to follow at 12:30 p.m. Mr. and Mrs. Davis will be eternally reunited during a committal ceremony with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery on June 25 at 2 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Del-Mar-Va Council of the Boy Scouts of America – www.delmarvacouncil.org or 801 N. Washington Street Wilmington, DE 19801-1597.

To send condolences, visit www.dohertyfh.com or call (302) 999-8277.

2006-11-03T11:30:00.000-05:00

I thought I'd take a minute to share a document I recently received in email. It is a dramatic demonstration that shows the amount of bacteria that lives on your fingers and hands. The message is "Wash your hands often and do it right!" The topic is timely with Bird Flu steadily advancing across the globe. During a health crisis, controlling the spread of bacteria becomes a priority for entire populations.

The first two images should grab your attention. If you are still curious, open the web site hosted by the Georgia College of Agriculture and read the entire story.

The test was done by touching finger tips to an agar-filled petri dish then waiting 24 hours. The growth of bacteria is truly astonishing. The test continues by washing the fingers and hands in different ways and repeating the test.

Image 1: Unwashed fingers touching the agar material.

Image2: The resulting bacteria growth after 24 hours.

So when should you wash your hands?

when hands are visibly soiled
after using the washroom (includes changing diapers)
after coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose
before and after eating; handling food
after touching raw meat, poultry or fish
after handling garbage
after handling pets, animals, or animal waste
after shaking hands

But what is the correct way to wash your hands? It's really easy if you follow a few simple rules.

get your paper towel ready before your start and keep it dry and clean
remove rings or jewelry
turn on the water and adjust it to a comfortable but warm temperature
rinse your hands then apply soap. one squirt from the soap dispenser is enough.
rub the soap onto your hands starting at the wrists and working down
rub it vigorously into your fingers and between them for 10 to 15 seconds
rinse your hands in the running water and leave it running
pat your hands dry with the paper towel
use the paper towel to turn off the fawcet so you do not contaminate your clean hands
but wait, don't throw the towel away just yet. Use it again to open the restroom door. Hold the door open with your foot and throw the towel away as you leave.

As with every important task, you need to practice these steps several times. Teach your children by showing them how to do it right.

Hand Sanitizer products are good too but do not rely on them exclusively. Wash your hands using soap and water when possible.

DuPont has recently introduced their RelyOn(tm) product line. It is a professional strength antiseptic solution in sprays and handwipes. RelyOn(tm) is a little difficult to find in stores but is avaliable online for about $4 for a 2oz bottle. Click here for one example.

Purell products are also popular.

Now go and wash your hands!

2006-10-09T00:02:00.000-04:00

Sunday was a great day. Dad and I went to the Air Show and Open House at the Dover Air Force Base. We watched F-18 Super Hornets, C-5's, C-17's, P-51's, and the Air Force Thunderbirds. Pictures will be coming soon. Check out the short video clips I've uploaded on YouTube.

Watch a C-5 land.

Watch an F18 Super Hornet create a shock cone as it reaches the sound barrier.

2006-10-03T17:00:00.000-04:00

Dad's new DART schedule is working out great. He is getting out earlier and even when the bus is late, it's not near as late as before. Traffic is better at 3:30 than at 4:00. He even gets home before Miss V arrives.

He also had his ICD checkup today and received a clean bill of health. In a few weeks, a device will be installed at home to remotely monitor the ICD so he won't need travel to have it checked. Travel was necessary today because they also wanted to check the incision and placement of the ICD under the skin. All is well.

Next week is the cardiologist appointment to check up on his heart.

Tomorrow's dialysis trip will be extended slightly. The team has ordered a test on his fistula (the attachment point for the dialysis needles) just to make sure it is not being constricted above or below the 'business' area.

2006-09-25T16:34:00.000-04:00

Time to begin documenting the DART Paratransit service... Friday, Sept. 22, Dad waited until 4:30 at the VA before being picked up and was then driven into downtown Wilmington where the driver picked up a woman. He then drove her into Hockessin to a private home. Dad didn't get home until after 6:00 -- a 1.5 hour ride in a rattle-trap Paratransit bus after sitting in his powerchair for 1.5 hours in the VA entrance way. 4 hours sitting still for dialysis then 3 hours stuck in the powerchair.

Today, he has been waiting at the VA for 1.5 hours. His arrangement is to be picked up at 4:00 and the paratransit has a window of 30 minutes before being considered late. Tomorrow's post will document today's experience.

I called DART dispach and changed the standard pickup time to 3:30. Maybe this will help with traffic and scheduling his trips home from the Elsmere VA.

2006-09-11T16:13:00.000-04:00

This entry is just to capture a few events over the past week that I haven't had time to post.

On Friday, September 1st, Dad felt some pressure and pain in the front of his chest just before getting into the dialysis chair. He took a nitro pill but it didn't have much effect so the nurse gave him an antacid. This helped and he began feeling better. The rest of the dialysis went as expected but the nurses were worried and called in the cardiac and kidney specialists to take a look. Dr. Agerwald, the Chief Surgeon asked that Dad be admitted overnight for observation. There was no heart problem this time. It appears to have been indigestion.

Dad stayed Friday night and was very uncomfortable in the hospital bed. He couldn't wait to get home.

I took him home Saturday morning leaving his powerchair in the dialysis area. Monday morning, I took him back in for dialysis using the black wheelchair and he reconnected with his powerchair.

Friday, he had difficulty with the DART Paratransit. The bus did not show at the prescribed time and he had to wait 3.5 hours after a long diaylsis session. Uncle Ray almost jumped into the Chevy to get him but the bus got there just in time.

2006-08-29T00:11:00.000-04:00

Second post from Monday... Read the earlier post first, then return to this one.

Dad's emergency room episode was determined to have been a ventricular fibrillation... where the heart just vibrates and can't get back into a normal rhythm. The standard protocol in this case calls for the implanting of an ICD, or Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator. The ICD also has a pacemaker feature so it's a combination of the two devices.

He was brought to the prep room at 12:30 where his monitor leads were switched from the portable monitor used on the 2nd floor step-down unit (a step down from the intensive care unit) to a more sophisticated monitor. Although keeping a steady 55 - 57 beats per minute, the monitor graph was rising and falling (?). (I'm not sure what this signifies but after the procedure, the graph maintained a steady horizontal line.)

At 1:00 the anesthetist discussed his role and what Dad should expect from today's procedure. Dad's only question was "When do I get to eat?" He was grumpy most of the day. He hadn't eaten or had a thing to drink since midnight Sunday and to make things worse, he was given a three hour dialysis treatment in the morning.

At 1:20, I wished him good luck and went to the waiting room and registered with the receptionist. She handed me an LED pager... it wasn't really necessary but I carried it around until the doctor appeared at 3:45. All had gone as expected. The ICD was implanted on the right side instead of the usual left side because of the dialysis port in his left arm. They wanted to stay clear of the left side so the leads into the heart are a little longer than they would like but it is not a major concern. He said there would be someone prior to discharge (later in the week) to go over detailed instructions about the care and management of the ICD.

I called Bob, Chad, Wilda and Ray to relay the news then went into the recovery room where Dad was already awake. He saw me coming from about 125 feet away and waved as if to say "All is well". He was wearing an oxygen mask and was very thirsty. He had to endure another 30 minute wait before being released to go back to his room where he ate and drank continuously for almost 90 minutes...

2006-08-28T23:16:00.000-04:00

This is the first post to my renewed blog. Events of the past several months could have been documented easily if only I had thought to re-awaken such a useful tool.

Dad's been the family focus of late, just a few weeks following Mom's passing on July 2nd. He was complaining of a pain in the middle of his back between the shoulder blades. At his regular dialysis visit Monday, August 21st, he told the dialysis technician that he needed a nitro pill because he thought his angina was flaring up. One small pill and the pain subsided. Fast forward to the same evening -- His Bayada aid, Virgina, became worried because he had no appetite and went into the bedroom to lay down... totally out of character. Virgina called me and I stopped at the house after work.

When I arrived, Dad was lying on the bed restless. He couldn't get comfortable and didn't feel as though he could fall asleep so he got up and came out to the kitchen table. He ate a little salad and went in on the couch where he stayed until about 9:00. He said the pain had subsided and he was feeling much better. I told him to take it easy and get some sleep and I left for home.

At 2:30AM, the phone rang. It was Dad. The pain had returned and it was intense enough that he felt he should call 911.... I told him to call then I hung up and called Bob. Bob lives closer to Dad's place now and it would take me 35 minutes to get there. He managed to get to the house in about 5 minutes where he found the paramedics already had Dad loaded and were ready to take him to Christiana. He called me with the destination.

I met them at the emergency room entrance where Dad was awake and feeling fine except for the pain between his shoulder blades. He was joking with the paramedics and the admitting staff. We were escorted to ER 9 where Dad was hooked up to a small monitor with about six leads. We were there approximately 30 minutes while the nurses did basic checks and a paper work-up. At that point, only the three of us were in the room. Bob was sitting on a chair and I walked over to the counter to put down my phone and keys. Dad was extremely uncomfortable on the gurney and had tried to sit up straight with his back off of the mattress. I had moved over to the starboard side of the gurney when I glanced at Dad and saw him stiffen and begin to shudder. He stiffened his entire body and his arms went straight with his palms down. His mouth opened and his eyes rolled up and to the right and he went grey immediately. I put both hands on his face and yelled "DAD!". He went limp.

I called for help just as our nurse was coming around the corner. Her expression immediately went to a sad "oh no" look. She called for assistance and from that moment on, people just kept arriving until there was no room for me or Bob. The first male nurse to come into the room began to pound Dad's chest with his fist. One, two, three thumps but the monitor didn't change. He started chest compressions while another nurse started using a mask and air pump. They continued this for at least two minutes. Bob and I were asked to stand outside so we did. I had propped the door open about an inch with my foot so I could watch Dad. I couldn't see anything except his left ear and neck but I could tell he was in serious trouble. This was the moment that I realized I was shaking noticeably. I watched as they used the defibrillator and with a single hit, Dad's heart found its rhythm and began beating on its own. I could hear the nurses calling out various things then Dad tried to sit up or get out of the gurney. He let out several growls and loud groans pulling himself up off of the mattress. One of the nurses called his name a few times and told him to lay back down... "Mr. Davis, Mr. Davis, Don't try to get up..." As he was lying down again, someone pushed the door closed.

About that time, this huge guy came around the hallway and said we should wait in the ER waiting room. I looked at him in disbelief, shook my head and said I wasn't leaving. He didn't say another word and walked back the way he had come. A few moments later, a nurse appeared and said we could watch from the inner entrance to the trama room. We were escorted to the area just past the inside nurses station where we could see the crowd around Dad. They were winding down... moving away giving a few remaining staff more room to work but none of them were leaving. We all stayed between the small trama room and the nurses station watching the monitors. The worst was over.

For more information on Ventricular fibrillation (VF):

http://www.hrsonline.org/

http://www.hrspatients.org/patients/treatments/cardiac_defibrillators/default.asp

2003-02-12T13:27:00.000-05:00

I don't keep personal journals so writing blog entries is not natural for me. And, I don't deal with a single subject for very long. So finding the right use of this blog will take some thought.

2001-10-22T11:35:00.000-04:00

Rickett's Glenn Demo Video

John's Private Blog

Three years ago

Honor Flight FlysVeterans to theWorld War II Memorial

Honor Flight Flys

Veterans to the

World War II Memorial