Point of View

Ode to Autumn

I’m under the broken clouds of the Arizona sky sitting at my third place. A gentle breeze drifts across the patio taking with it the heat of the day. In the distant south-eastern horizon an intermittent lightening show performs for all to see.

Thursday’s seem to be the busy night for my little Starbucks. This can cause some internal turmoil if “my” table is occupied by strangers. I do have a couple of back-up tables for “emergencies” but tonight I am happily seated at my normal table. From this spot I have a clear view of the comings and goings of my fellow coffee junkies.

It’s been in the hundreds for so long now I don’t think fall will ever get here. One hundred and nine days of consecutive 100 degree plus temperatures. Whew! The pay off will be worth the wait once the cooler temperatures do arrive. I have always enjoyed autumn as long as I can remember. In Phoenix however there is no real change in the colors of our landscape and it arrives quite unexpectedly; one day it’s just cooler. We don’t even turn back our clocks. Unlike Chicago, autumn in Phoenix is a state of mind with subtle flares of fall. The evenings are the best, offering pleasant outdoor temperatures for star gazing or sipping a hot cup of coffee. The scent of a freshly lit fireplace fills the air (yes, we have fireplaces) and the night sky seems more crisp and clear.

For me it’s also the time to don my tight-fitting dress blue uniform and start another Toys for Tots campaign. Each year I travel from school to school and speak about life in the military to elementary children as well as other various organizations that sponsor Toys for Tots drives. I bring pictures of the places I have been, along with some battle gear and a few MRE’s –Meals Ready to Eat- for the kids to sample. I’m always surprised at how much they enjoy eating them as we –Marines- have always found them very unsatisfying. The MRE is a dehydrated meal containing such delights as spaghetti and meatballs to chicken and dumplings. Included in the package are cheese and crackers, candy bars, cookies, gum, matches and some toiletries. These MRE’s are said to have a one hundred year shelf life and can only be truly appreciated after having spent months cut off from society, or if you’re a curious kindergartener. The children seem to love them although I think it’s the experience of tearing them open to find what’s inside. What ever their reasons, they couldn’t be any more adorable. At Ford Elementary one year a young student asked, “¿Es usted el presidente?” as I entered their classroom. I had to laugh and assured her I was not.

Autumn is also time for me to reunite with my military veteran friends and celebrate Veterans Day, and for me, the Marine Corps birthday. I take these two days off from work and participate in Phoenix’s Veterans Day parade, after which I pay a visit to the Veterans Hospital’s nursing home to sit with the veterans that reside there. They love telling their stories and I enjoy listening to them share. They are quick witted and sometimes grouchy, but nonetheless an honor to visit with. I met one veteran, Garth, who is a Pearl Harbor survivor. His account of survival was both moving and impressive. He was a sailor aboard the USS Oklahoma. After being hit by a Japanese torpedo, the ship, heavily damaged began to list, dumping its young crew over board into the shallows of the harbor. Garth recounted the enormous struggle for survival as he endeavored to swim clear of the massive monolith that was bearing down on him and his shipmates. He could only watch in horror, knowing full well that many of the men still remained trapped inside as the ship rolled over exposing its hull.

Another veteran, Mary, was a nurse in the Army Medical Corps during WW II. She proudly showed me photographs of her in her dress greens asking if I thought she was a “catch.” I had to admit, she looked beautiful and it was hard to believe it was the same woman standing before me now. She was quite the flirt as I recall, as are most the residents there, normally the men showing off to the nursing staff. Not quite dead yet they tell me. I learned a few months later that Mary had passed away not long after our visit.  I will always take the memory of having met such a wonderful proud woman with me. It is with these people, my brothers and sisters in arms, with whom I find comfort. Perhaps it’s that we share a common bond of service and sacrifice that allows for such a natural friendship to form. They are so proud.