11.12.2018

Revisiting a Veteran's Story

Revisiting a Veteran's Story | oonaballoona by marcy harriell

Two years ago today, I wrote this post about my Granddad. I don't have new stories to share about him, because I didn't know him when he was here--but I thought this old story was worth revisiting. 

This is my granddad. I always believed that he did not love me.

One summer, long after he had passed away, long after both my Grandmothers had passed away, my parents put together a photo album for me as a birthday gift. The bulk of the shots were true and believable memories. But I stared in surprise at my Granddad, me cradled in his arms. The love on his face was undeniable. And unbelievable.

But our beliefs are not always truth. 

Granddad was a quiet man. I shared maybe a hundred words with him over the years, most of those in the form of hellos and goodbyes. He was a Veteran. He served for four years in the Navy during World War II. I know next to nothing about him. This is what I learned today:

In 1941, my Nana had moved from Virginia to New Jersey, where she met my Granddad. Her brother, Eddie, was a Marine, and when my Granddad first met him, Eddie was in uniform. Granddad thought this man was an unbelievable sight, and he enlisted in the Navy in '42 -- mainly because he didn't want to give up the curl in his 'do with the mandatory buzz cut of the Army and Marines.

Granddad served in the South Pacific, but whenever they were docked stateside, Nana would go to visit him on his ship. His crewmates were incensed that a Black man was involved with a woman who, by all appearances, seemed White. They had to assure them that she was not.

When he returned from the war in January of '46, they were married by the end of the month. Twin girls arrived in November of that year. 

His first job after the war was short lived. When he asked for a raise, his boss said, no problem, you'll have your raise starting tomorrow. He arrived at work the next day to find that his boss had placed several pallets by his workspace to stand on. He quit on the spot.

He was incredibly hard working. He had multiple side jobs on top of his full-time job at Western Electric, which he got because he was a veteran, in spite of the color of his skin.

One hot summer day, the young family of four all got on the bus to Olympic Park in Irvington, NJ. They were excited to ride the roller coaster and cool off in the pool. But when they arrived at the gate, they were denied entry, because of the color of their skin.

During the Newark riots of '67, now a family of five, their car was stopped by the police, who then searched the vehicle. The police found a hammer in the trunk, there because Granddad did all of the repair work on the two homes they owned. The police considered the hammer to be a weapon and said something to my Granddad, something my Mom did not hear. But she felt it when he suddenly hit the gas and sped off and she heard it when the police shot at their car. 

Or was it the National Guard? My shock at these stories, at once completely believable and absolutely unbelievable, makes it hard to remember the facts.

Granddad once caught an electric eel when fishing in the Raritan River. What did he do?! I asked. He threw it back! my Dad replied. The thought of my stoic Granddad reacting to an electric fish is unimaginable and yes, unbelievable. 

Revisiting a Veteran's Story | oonaballoona by marcy harriell

Everything I've just told you comes from a conversation I had with my parents this morning. I didn't hear any of these stories from my Granddad, who I rarely saw anywhere but in his domain: the basement TV room and bar. There, he would sit in his recliner (though never in a reclined position), watching TV. We would kiss him on the cheek. He would grunt a hello. We would leave him be, and go outside to play with our cousins. The only thing that changed as we grew up was that I would go upstairs to debate with our cousins, while my brother would stay downstairs and sit with him. I know no other small tidbits about him. 

I do have one memory of my brother and me, sitting on bar stools, while Dad and Granddad made a couple of rum and cokes for the ladies upstairs. (Nana said no one made a rum and coke better than my Dad. EASILY BELIEVABLE.)

Revisiting a Veteran's Story | oonaballoona by marcy harriell

This might seem like a story about race. It's not-- but it is. I said at the beginning of this lengthy post that I believed my Granddad didn't love me. I suppose I should tell you why. My extended family looked like a Colors of Benetton ad, but it sure didn't act United. We were opinionated, and funny, and loud, and passionate, and ever-slightly-feuding--and though every single person in that house was born of an interracial marriage, a lot of those holiday feuds were centered on race. What race you were, what race you claimed, what race was better than the other. Neither of my grandparents ever joined in these conversations, especially my Granddad, who sat downstairs as the hollering went on. His silence made it easy for me to believe he didn't care enough to talk. I believed my particular racial blend held both of my maternal grandparent's love for me at a quiet arm's length. 

But maybe my Granddad simply wanted quiet after the weight of so many struggles. The worst of which had to be losing his 33 year-old daughter. Maybe my Nana was just shocked to see a teenager with natural hair the size of New Jersey greeting her at the door, when she had to wrangle her hair into a small, straightened shape every day of her life in an effort to appear a little bit more "acceptable." Maybe I was just an unbelievable sight to her. 

Race plays an enormous part in the story. You could easily say it is the cause of it, but it is not the sum of it. It is a story about strangers, brought on by a day which honors a man I didn't know. 

I've been reading this over and over, wondering what the hell I'm trying to say. Just now, I heard some yells, some drums, coming from up the street, and my mind immediately went to thoughts of protestors and trouble. I believed this imagined scenario instantly and completely. Looking out the window, I saw a troop of 30 young Black kids dressed in some sort of school military uniform, carrying marching band instruments and carefully rolled flags. They walked happily down the street, obviously heading somewhere in honor of Veteran's Day. I wrote a story in my head that I instantly believed, and which turned out to be the complete opposite.

Would I have gotten these stories directly from my grandparents if my own beliefs hadn't clouded up every encounter I had with them? My beliefs became truths that made no room. They colored every hello and goodbye. And they made my grandparents strangers to me.

We all have strangers in our lives: neighbors who vote the other way, family members we just don't get, countless people we only know through half-thought-out opinions on social media. In honor of this man I didn't know--this man, who by sheer virtue of the magnificent daughter he raised, was obviously a man who had great love inside him--in honor of this man, I'm going to do my best to question my beliefs. To hear a siren and consider that it might mean help is on the way for someone. To consider that a stranger's sideways glance might not be condemnation--maybe it's a commendation on my latest creation. To let my beliefs be pliable enough that I can give small and large kindnesses to those that I see every day, and those that I'll never see again.  

To consider that my belief isn't always truth.

47 comments:

  1. "...my belief isn't always truth." Amen. Thanks for being you and sharing...again.

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  2. Second that. Very powerful words. Words I certainly needed to hear! Thank you.

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  3. Brilliant and beautiful. It's so easy to assume you know what others are thinking but we all need to take the time to get to know the real person beneath. Thank you for sharing.

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    1. You're welcome, Nina! It's so easy to judge a person in a second, especially now.

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  4. Your story gives an honest look at how we perceive events in our lives and how we take them as "Truth", to learn, if we are will to, that is not always the truth. A beautiful story.
    Kimberly Wilkes

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    1. Thank you, Kimberly. It's always good to try and see the story outside our own eyeline.

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  5. Marcie, Thanks so much for the thought provoking post! As I get older it amazes me how clear cut things seemed to me in the past. When I think back the issues were not as *simple* as I'd thought. (Or not thought.)

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    1. You're welcome, Melody! Hindsight really can be 20/20.
      (And no worries on the misspell, I'm easygoing in that category 😊)

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  6. Marcy, So sorry about misspelling your name. (With mine I should know better!)

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  7. Beautiful and moving. Thank you.

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  8. What a lovely, meaningful post Marcy. My dad would have loved this, my mom too. Thank you!
    Your mom

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  9. Oh boy, I'm cutting up onions over here. It's such a hard thing to do but it defines an adult I believe, to be willing to revisit the past through the eyes of an adult; to forgive the child who saw things through a lens and embrace them and recalibrate together into a new future. xoxo

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  10. Marcy, I don't know if I missed this the first time you posted or if I had just forgotten it. Either way, I'm glad I read it this morning. It's so easy to do, isn't it? Thanks for this reminder to stop ourselves from thinking the worst of people and start questioning our preconceived notions. Sharing!

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    1. Thank you Erin, I'm so glad it was a good reminder! It's really too easy to think the worst in this ten-second-society we've found ourselves in.

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  11. Loved it last year; and loved it again this year. It is a timeless tribute. (I now it's about your Grandfather, but I have to say that you look so much like your Grandmother!)

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    1. Thank you ❤️
      I was also surprised to see the resemblance in that photo!

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  12. Thank you for a provocative and thought-provoking post. And much thanks to your late grandad for his service to our country, and to his family, of course.

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  13. I loved this the first time you posted it, and I still love it. Thank you.

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  14. Thank you for this. You're a thinker and a compassionate person. You're making the planet a better place.

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  15. Love this so much! So lovely to see the photos too!

    xx

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  16. What a great post. I missed the first one, so thanks for repeating it. I love his smile holding you.
    -Susie

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    1. Isn't that a beautiful smile? I rarely saw a smile like that, I'm so glad to have the photo.

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  17. Loved this story and your transparency - thanks for sharing.

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  18. What a beautiful story, beautifully told. I confess that you made my cry.

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  19. Beautiful words that are so relevant to our world today. I love your story and blog. Thank you!

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  20. This is such a beautiful, thoughtful, and human piece. It really reminds me of Zadie Smith. Not just because it's interested in mixed-race experience, but because it is so thoughtful and honest and lovely.

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  21. Also, I've been religiously reading your blog for a couple years, and I just set up an account so I could comment, and just wanna let have know that a new post from you is always a creatively inspiring bright spot in my day! My creative process is also pretty chaotic, and I love seeing your process and the things you make. Makes me feel like sewing isn't just for people that have a new annual calendar annotated with family birthdays up by Jan 2nd :p

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    1. HAHAHAAAAA, Sarah, that last sentence puts it so perfectly! Sewing is a happy cacophony around here for sure 😁 Thank you for the love, that was so nice to hear!

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  22. WOW, I do not subscribe to a single blog, but I do now. I love your style and free spirit, maybe because I feel like you get it....which I know you do. That was a wonderful story and so well told! Thanks for making the remainder of my "work" day a smiled filled one until I can get home to my machines. Stay inspirational,HUGS

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    1. What a compliment, thank you so much, Wendy! I hope your machines are purring and waiting for you 😊❤️

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  23. Thanks so much for your beautiful story! I loved hearing about your history!! It's so nice to hear about the similarities in our families too! The quick "hi's" and that's it...:)I think you should post it again in a few years as well! This is the kind of story that never gets old and that we all benefit from!!!

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  24. My father in law (I'm much older than you) was very similar to your dad in behavior. I think that the reason your dad was a bit of a loner is due a lot to being in that unique group that's been coined "the greatest generation". He was a veteran who didn't share his experiences, a man who worked hard to support his family, and men of that era didn't really think "this makes me happy" or "I'd like to try doing this because it sounds interesting", etc...they just got on with their lives. Nowadays men are free to explore other avenues such as crafting, quilting, hobbies, etc, as its the 'norm' now, and I think men are the better for that now, too. Your family pictures were beautiful - people always dressed up to go out in that era, and I miss seeing people do that. (Pajamas are NOT 'going out' attire). I always enjoy your blog, and love your beautiful creations - which always looks so wonderful on you.

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  25. Good story to share. I never met my grandfather. He died b4 I was born. Many uncles and cousins were in the Army. Interesting life stories in family's for sure. 💜

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i thankya truly for taking the time to comment, i love a good conversation-- and hope you know my thanks are always implied, if not always written!