One of the first things we all learn to do is to walk. It comes quite easy and is therefore taken for granted. Actually, however it is somewhat of a miracle that we are able to walk. Without the built-in balance in our inner ear we could not stay erect. When we walk we are really falling and then catching ourselves by putting another foot forward. This was demonstrated to me a few years ago. I was walking along the trail above the river toward the Water Lab. A rock was hidden by grass and my toe hit it just as I was starting another step. Before I knew it I was flat on my face. My glasses were broken and my face cut by rocks. The timing was perfect - I fell because my next foot was unavailable to stop the fall.
Walking has always been an important part of my life. I have always enjoyed hiking. In High School in Phoenix I walked to school - about a mile directly through the Phoenix Country Club. In those days they played the Phoenix Open there and I watched Byron Nelson win one of his eleven straight tournaments on that Course.
After failing to get into the Air Force in 1943 due to High Blood Pressure (excitement) I was drafted into the Army (blood presssure normal) and sent to Basic Training at Fort Benning Ga. That was tough! Full packs and arms up to 100 lbs and walk, walk, walk, in high heat and humidity. I remember one all night march when I fell asleep as a walked and caught myself as I started to fall.
Overseas, we were in England for a time then on to Belgium where we walked to the front lines. It was tough because we not only had full packs but ammo and my BAR. The one incident I will never forget is when our squad was on patrol in the Ardennes forest between the front lines. We came to a clearing in the woods and our Squad leader sent me and my ammo bearers across to set up on the other side. I was very careful since it looked to me like the ground had been disturbed. The other two followed in my footsteps. On the other side we found a single strand barbed wire fence - used by the Germans to mark their mine fields. We called back and some engineers were called. They probed the field and discovered that it was full of foot mines in staggered rows and columns about 2-3 feet apart. We had walked right through it without touching any! I have often thought of that and how one misstep could have meant loss of a leg or a life.
Walking is still a part of my life. I often think of how fortunate I am to have two good legs. No knee or hip trouble. Walking to the office is a pleasure (2 1/2 miles). Walking around golf courses is a pleasure. Each step is taken with thanks for my ability to do so.
7 comments:
Thank you for sharing these stories Dad. We are ALL blessed that you were protected in that mine field! I think we all benefit from yours and mom's active lifestyle-it really carries on to your children.. I've got a tennis match today!Bel
It's cool to hear your stories. I don't know as much as I should about your past. Feel free to share more.
I also love my walk to work. It's very short, but I love getting out. No matter the weather, my short walk is always refreshing. Our weather has been fantastic the past couple days so I've wanted to prolong my outside time. I'm also very gratful for a healthy body and I intend to keep it this way. Thanks for your wise words.
Wonderful stories and descriptions I have never heard. I remember a great family backpacking trip we took when I was 16. A friend showed me some wonderful hikes up AF Canyon. Want to go?
I like walking, too. A couple of years ago when I needed to lose some weight, I walked 2 miles morning and night. I cut food calories a little, but I think the 500 calories used in the walks helped me lose 20 pounds in 6 months.
Oh, and by the way, for those who don't know what the BAR mentioned is:
The Browning Automatic Rifle (more formally the Browning Automatic Rifle, Caliber .30, M1918 and commonly known as the BAR), is a family of automatic rifles (or machine rifles) and light machine guns used by the United States and other countries during the 20th century.
It was designed in 1917 by the weapons designer John Browning, primarily as a replacement for (and improvement on) the French-made Chauchat and Hotchkiss M1909. The BAR was originally intended as a light automatic rifle, but spent much of its career in various guises used in the light machine gun role with a bipod. The original M1918 version was and remains the lightest service machine gun to fire the .30-06 Springfield cartridge, though the limited capacity of its standard 20-round magazine tended to hamper its utility as a light machine gun.
There; more than you wanted to know about the BAR.
If each golf ball you collected on a walk represented one mile that you have walked in your life. I'm sure you could have walked to the moon and back.
I remember one time in Moab when I was largely 7 months pregnant with Jefferson (I looked 9 months), and we decided to take a little hike to the petroglyphs. You looked at me with doubt and said, "Are you going to be able to make it?" I laughed and said, "I can make it if YOU can." It was definitely great to see that my grandpa (on his 50th wedding anniversary) was more concerned about my fitness for a light hike than his. Luckily, I have had good examples of keeping myself fit so I was able to do it too.
Grandpa, I love hearing your stories! I am always thankful for a working body. Sorry that you fell, I hope your injuries were minor. Also, on a side note, I went golfing for just a few holes with Todd today and I made par on a hole for the first time ever! Exciting days! I'm sure you remember how bad I used to be. I never even got air and you were always trying to tell me to hit down on the ball. I still don't quite understand what that means, but Todd says that is what I am doing! It is so exciting to hit the ball and actually have it go where I meant for it to go!
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