Several days ago I learned of a person having left the Armed Forces and returning to recapture the comaraderie that comes along with spending a lot of time with others. The mutual trust and friendship in the Armed Forces is often the most important part of the experience.
In a post back on March 22, entitled Reluctant Soldier Boy, Part 3, I shared briefly about an Army friend, Robert Dahl. Robert died on June 14, 1994. His sudden death at a young age in El Paso, Texas, left Leighton, his wife, and daughter, Elizabeth, in deep grief. No illness, no forewarning: memento mori to the extreme.
The El Paso Times obituary featured Robert’s teaching experience. He coached 14 regional spelling bee champs and 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th place in the Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. What a record!
He was a repeat participant in the National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Institutes. An actor, writer, poet, dancer, merchant seaman (his father was a sea captain), who spoke 5 languages. Robert studied under Sanford Meisner at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theater in New York City and worked on stage and television.
He was gifted, mild-mannered, and full of mirth. Students shared of his goodness in class. Those of us who were his Army buddies caught his spirit. After the Army time I visited Robert and Leighton in Florida and he made a trip to my home in Goshen, Indiana. On his way to Goshen he stopped to visit James Dean’s grave in Fairmount, Indiana.
At the time of his death, Elizabeth sent me an El Paso Times article about Robert and his obituary. I wrote the following and sent it to Leighton and Elizabeth.
Robert Dahl
You sparked life in many
So gifted with unusual energies
Dreams unfulfilled lingered, but
You carried on igniting hope in others
To have been a student of yours
Life would never be the same
To have been a friend of yours
A gift for all time
Our wars and memories of a war differ
Even so, friendship bridges years
Meisner, Dean, Clift - all great
You have been all of these and more!
Memories of Ft. Bliss Supply Clerk
Streisand LP’s and music trivia
Warm and loving friend able to
Laugh and cry while embracing life
New York, St. Pete., Fairmount
Goshen, and El Paso - places of friendship
The leading ladies in your life
Leighton and Elizabeth: gifts and graces
Like my emotions, thoughts are bits and pieces
Will there be no more surprise calls or notes?
Believing in the Otherworldly and the Mystery
I think you must be very much at home
As pain and bewilderment wrestle inside
I treasure having been fired by your life.
If you are ever in El Paso cruise Robert Dahl Drive!
Eric, I think I responded on email but wanted to make sure you heard from me. You are so right about amazing people. The unique gifts everyone brings into the world is astounding.
The coffee shop has a different look with the Cider business moving out. New tables in lower room, nice bar where cider folks had been and the patio out back is very nice. Will we ever meet there again? I go so seldom at this point mainly due to cost! I hope you are getting settled in to your new home.
So true, Eric. Good to hear from you. Hope you are settled in your new home.