This was always one of my favourite stories. I liked it because if was subtle as well as quirky.
Eugenie Chelasteenie Salvatore Rito Bagenoh
Jack Fulton was a mere lad of 18 when he enlisted in the Navy, it was 1943. The war in Europe had been pounding hard since the Nazis Blitz of Poland, September 1, 1939. Every young, prairie boy felt a heart yearning need to be in the mix. Jack was assigned to the Navies Cms never budge in Halifax harbour. He was assigned duties on ship but basically he was a glorified nurse and bed pan retriever. This job put him off any form of bathroom behaviour or attitude for the rest of his life. A silent but deadly fart at the dinner table would put him off food for a little longer than a week.
As part of his duties he was allowed to handle the medicinal alcohol, good duty on board a ship. One thing lead to another and some of mates liberated a handsome amount of brew which was turned into moonshine whiskey, Navy style. Bright and early the next morning the CO copped an all out ships drill. The loud clangson sounded long and proud, Jack was deathly hung-over like a dirty dog and knew he would be in a lord of trouble had he not manned his post with the requisite bucket of sand at the ready. His smiling bunk mate said no, you stay, I will hold your post for you. And without another word he set off to cover for the ill timed hangover. As the sailor climbed up to his station Jack hollered out, what's your name son? He yelled back, my name is Eugenie Chelasteenie Salvatore Rito Bagenoh.
Jack said thanks, I will never forget your name, I owe you one. He never forgot that name, not for one minute of one day. He passed it on to me at a young age, and now I am passing it on. One persons act of selfless action can last many, many lifetimes.
The very next time the muster was called by the CO, it found Jack in the showers, he jumped out grabbed the sand bucket and stood his post at timerous attention. After all he was absolutely, completely, embarrassingly, naked as the day he was born. He was at the post, he had learned a valuable lesson. When someone gives you a job to do, you do it.
There was a new optimism in the world after World War Two had ground to a halt. In the summer of 1948, Jack married Evelyn.
YOU ARE READING
Take off your hat, I want to stand up.
HumorThis is a story about the life of my mom, Eve Fulton. I started writing letters to her, two or three a week for several years. They talked about our journey together as a family and the issues we faced. When my mom passed, a volunteer came up to me...
