X files, pipe smoke and my grandfather

Today while I was at work a co worker had some sort scent thing running and the scent was familiar and I couldn’t place it at first. Then it came to me my grandfather smoked a pipe and the smell was what he smoked. My co worker was not however huddled in the corner puffing away on a pipe but there is something about that image which might not be far from the truth… but I digress My maternal grandfather smoked a pipe everyone else in the family smoked cigarettes and I mean everyone smoked. Now no one does… go figure. I had not thought about my grandfather smoking a pipe let alone what it smelled like until today probably not ever consciously. Today though I found myself anytime my mind wandered thinking about this man who has been gone now for nearly 30 years. My children never met him nor any of my nieces or my nephew. Here is a man whose memories of who he was and his mannerisms end with my generation. Sure there are photos and stories but not a real link to the man. He was not a famous man; he came from humble beginnings, one of fourteen children born to immigrants from Italy. He was the first in his family to graduate from High School. He was not a prideful man and put others before himself. He could have been a professional baseball player and was recruited by the Cleveland Indians prior to World War II. When the War began he, like many other men, put aside their personal goals and dreams and enlisted in the Military. My grandfather was a medical corpsman in the US Navy and served from WW II through Korea. During his time in the military he earned two bronze stars. He talked very little about his service only saying he met Jack Kennedy and thought he was a bit arrogant, that he was on Iwo Jima and that the photo of the flag rising was staged after the fighting was over for the news papers. During Korea he was transferred from ship duty to field duty with a US Marine unit and once when he had newly arrived at a camp, the camp came under attack and he jumped into a defensive bunker. The soldier helping him dust off and get to his feet was his brother in law, who supposedly said, “Funny thing running into you here, Johnny.” I remember going to the town barber shop and the liquor store with him and the smells of hair clippings, witch hazel and Old Spice, Vitalis hair tonic and whiskey where common, along with that pipe smoke. I don’t remember any of the conversations just a bunch of older men telling stories in a barber shop or at the liquor store and hearing those men call him Doc which was from his days in the Navy having been a medic. Granddad may have actually worked at the liquor store not to give you the impression he was a drunk. He did nurse me back from my first drunken outing though which hot black coffee from a percolator. I had a good relationship with my grandfather, but not one that was overly close. He didn’t really impart any great pearls of wisdom or knowledge. Although he was a patient man, he was kind and I only really saw him get angry once in my life. Maybe twice because I am remembering him spanking me now that I think about it but mainly he left that up to our grandmother. Truth be told she hit harder and not because he couldn’t hit as hard as her I just don’t think he liked to do it. He was a gentle man and quiet, but was firm when he was passionate about something. When I was stationed in Germany, I went on leave to Italy. I didn’t have a plan; I didn’t tell anyone where I was going because I didn’t know where I was going. I didn’t tell anyone where I was staying, because when I got off the train I had no idea where I would go. I just started walking and found a bank then found a hotel that looked okay and booked a room. There were not any other Americans in that town apart from me, at least not that I was aware, I was alone. I was able to use the bartenders moped in exchange for teaching him some basic English phrases for an hour a day. One day after I had been there in Italy for about a week, the desk clerk tells me I have a phone call. I think no I don’t because no one knows I’m here. The clerk said he was sure it was for me. I go into a phone booth, answer the call, and it is my grandfather. I’m still not sure how he found me, and I was not able to ask him later because one week after that phone call he had a massive stroke and remained in a coma until he died several weeks later. His funeral was a full dress Navy funeral complete with color and honor guard. Turns out this quiet man was kind of a big deal at least in the eyes of the Navy and not just his family. I remember he said he had been proud of me for my service in the military even if it was in the Air Force. I have a photo of my grandfather and his parents on the wall beside my desk here at home. I see him everyday but today he is a lot clearer in my mind than he has been in years. Today was a good day remembering a man who I miss and wish my kids could have known. My daughter would have certainly earned his pride because they both like the whiskey and speak their mind in no uncertain terms. My son is a lot like him, in his quiet nature and my grandfather liked to dress up. He wore a tie just to go to the store and my son likes to dress to the nines just because he likes to look nice. Well, that’s all for now, other stuff to follow most likely Happy Birthday if it’s your birthday and a very merry un birthday if it isn’t your birthday Thank you for reading, please subscribe, Have a great day and play nice in the neighborhood. Ciao, Invisible Don PS 3 / PS4 Gamer Tag: invisible don Invisible Don PO Box 4425 Roanoke VA 24015 Send me Post Cards … I love Post Cards