“A warm smile is the universal language of kindness.”
~ William Arthur Ward
I haven’t seen William LeMaster for over a year, but we made up for that on Friday, the first day of the Sorghum festival. At one point, he caught me taking photos of the Doughboy, erected to honor veterans of WWI which was broken into 500 pieces and scattered down Main Street after the tornado. He was pieced back together and re-erected earlier this year, as was the old courthouse and it’s clock. I happened to look up and see this perfect scene of crossed contrails, a sundog just visible near the tip of the flag, and a score of crows riding an updraft. I could have watched for hours. Peace.
William’s Grandfather, Dan LeMaster, Sr. is listed on the WWI wall. This memorial honors all Morgan Countians who served during the war, and in many ways, that’s less depressing than memorializing only the deceased. William’s father, Dan Jr., below, is a veteran of Korea and Vietnam. He always rides the D.A.V. float with mom and dad and the other vets.
William has told me a few stories about his great-grandfather and other ancestors who fought in the Civil War. I think he’s even got family that fought in the Revolutionary War. William himself didn’t enlist, making him the first of the LeMaster boys to not experience war. He’s always been more a lover than a fighter anyway. And no wonder I love him so much; he’s a total guitar enthusiast and music aficionado. I sure enjoyed spending time with him. He’s always a joy.
Leave a Reply