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On this Veterans Day, I uplift and honor all who served or who currently serve. I have a USAF husband, who came from an all-military family, including his mother. Ruth was a Woman Marine in World War II. If they would have let her go into combat, she would have been first in line. Then there was my late father Woodson Thrash, who lied about his age, and joined up at age 14. The Army threw him back until he was 18…he joined again. His brothers all served, too. So did my late brother Larry…and my great-nephew Ryan. Today, though…I am remembering Jerry Dannenberg.
Jerry moved to Ashdown with his late wife, well over a decade ago. He was active in the Ashdown American Legion as much as he could be. I’d say that he was more of a ‘motivator’ for the group, as he was much older, and had emphysema. But he did advise and push that group forward.
I met Jerry, as he came by the radio station. He heard me mention that I missed seeing poppies for sale or donation, by a Legion Auxiliary, on street corners, or in front of the stores. It isn’t anything we see done anymore. So Jerry came…and brought me a little paper poppy. This really made my day.
Jerry was Retired Navy. He’d been all over the world, but home was Chicago. We both had a love of WLS and the announcers there. Next thing I know, here comes Jerry, bearing cassette tapes of bits from Larry Lujack, John ‘Records’ Landecker, and others. What a treasure to me. Jerry just ‘got’ me.
One day, Jerry came into the lobby. He didn’t look so good. He was on portable oxygen. This time, he came bearing a book, called Silent Night: The Story of the World War I Christmas Truce. He had heard me play a Christmas song, called ‘Christmas Truce 1914′ once. So he dug through his extensive library of any and all things military, and brought it to me to read, with his compliments. It was the last time I saw Jerry.
I went without hearing from Jerry for a long while. Then, a young man came to visit me at the station one day. He introduced himself as Jerry’s son. He informed me that Jerry had died alone at home, with the radio on. It was several days before a welfare check was made. So the son and his family came to Ashdown, to move his belongings. I told the younger man, “I have your dad’s book he lent me. Don’t you want to take it?’ He replied, ‘Dad would want you to have it. Consider it a gift from him.’
So today, I am remembering Jerry Dannenberg….my special friend. Jerry, thank you for your service. I know that you are mustering some sort of project in Heaven today.