Not many sons are privileged to know their father for over 62 years. I am happy to say that I was By Allen Orcutt
I
can’t remember a time I wasn’t proud to be the son of this remarkable man,
and I know my brother Dennis feels the same way. Let me tell you a few things he
taught and often reminded us.
Most
importantly he believed that the Kingdom of
God
is within us, and that our life and deeds have a spiritual basis.
Nothing
speaks more of our father than his humility and gentle nature, which he shared
with us through his relations with other people. While Will Rogers coined the phrase I never met a man I
didn’t like, our father was a ready example of Will’s good words and humor
with all whom he came in contact.
Speaking
of humor, I have to tell you that our father took his work very seriously, yet
this man’s contagious sense of humor seldom found him without a self
deprecating joke. Dinner at the Orcutt house for example came in two ample
servings: a main course and a recent supply of dad’s custom jokes of which we
never tired. To this day I will never know where he found or remembered them
all. My favorite, which Dad would want to share if he were standing here, is the
story of two old veterans swinging on the front porch watching much younger
ladies walk by. When, one of them turned his head and loudly whispered in his
ole friends ear “Henry, you
know that stuff the army used to feed us for breakfast to keep us from chasing
girls?
Henry
says “yep, sure do”
His
friend then says “you know, I believe it’s starting to take effect!”
Our
father was courageous: He was a natural leader who strived in all his decisions
to break clean with principle, to be kind hearted and whole hearted in
everything he did. He was more than a hero to my brother and me.
As
a Lieutenant in Patton’s reconnaissance group, he earned a Bronze star for
bravery under fire and a Purple Heart courtesy of a German sniper. Not until a
couple of years ago did he agree to share his World War II experiences from
Normandy to the Battle of the Bulge, while I videotaped them for his
grandchildren.
Our
father was a wise man. You would first know this to be true by looking into his
eyes. One look from those eyes would as a kid meant fair treatment and good
advice. I wish I had taken more of the later. Dad continually mused how seldom I
took his good advice as a teenager. I could never figure how he got so smart in
so few years.
His
wise approach to handling teenagers seldom embarrassed us. You see, he was adept
at secret coded sign language that fit in many non verbal situations …such as
the current measurement of my memory or forgetful nature which he summarized by
flashing in my direction the despised inch sign (hold up for all to see) earned
by me misplacing or loosing objects of value. At least he would do it with a
smile on his face.
As
I sit here at his bedside holding his once strong hands….I can feel his pulse
taping to his favorite drum beat as he marches on to join in the band.
And the band played on.
On Their 50th Wedding Anniversary
I am wearing the same shirt in this picture that I was when my Father went to be with the LORD.
