Ethan, this is a picture of your Great Granddaddy Jim Mauldin (J. D. Drane Mauldin; May 31, 1916 - August 4, 1999). He was my Daddy and your Mommy's Granddaddy. This picture was taken when he was about 40 years old... about 1956 when I was 10 years old. I have some other pictures of him that I'll post for you when I can get them scanned... some of those pictures your Mommy may even remember.
Daddy was an
Eagle Scout which is probably one of the reasons why he decided to work professionally for the Boy Scouts of America. He was born in
McCool, Mississippi and went to
Mississippi State University (1934 - 1938) where he majored in agriculture and was a star on the track team. His best event was the quarter mile (440 yards) which is a VERY difficult race because of it's length and the necessity to sprint the entire distance. His best time was within one second of the world record in 1938 (47.2 seconds). He was invited to the Olympic tryouts (Pan American Games) but couldn't afford to go because of the Great Depression.
Daddy raced and beat
Glenn Cunningham in the quarter mile. Cunningham was considered by many to be the greatest American miler of all time. The story of Cunningham's life is very inspiring...
Cunningham's legs were very badly burned in a schoolhouse fire when he was eight and his brother Floyd was ten. Floyd died in the schoolhouse. When the doctors recommended amputating Glenn's legs, he was so distressed his parents wouldn't allow it. The doctors predicted he might never walk normally again. He had lost all the flesh on his knees and shins and all the toes on his left foot. Also, his transverse arch was practically destroyed. However, his great determination, coupled with the hours of massages given him by his parents, enabled him to gradually regain the ability to walk and to proceed to run. It was in the early summer of 1919 when he first tried to walk again, roughly two years after the accident. He had a positive attitude as well as a strong religious faith. His favorite Bible verse was Isaiah 40:31: "But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint."Daddy went on to get a Masters Degree in Fish and Wildlife Management at
Texas A & M University in College Station, Texas. After he got his Masters he taught school in
McClellanville, South Carolina (1939 - 1941). When World War II broke out in late 1941, Daddy joined the Marine Corps and served for nearly 4 years in the South Pacific commanding an anti-aircraft artillery battery... the gun looked like this:
His marines shot down a Japanese
kamikaze which looked like this one.
His marines shooting down that suicide bomber probably saved scores of American lives. This is a picture of the aircraft carrier Essex right after it was hit by a
kamikaze:
During the war he married my Mama - your Great Grandmother - on December 15, 1943 in La Jolla, California. These are pictures of "Marty" (Martha Ann Davenport Mauldin; September 21, 1920 - February 24, 2006) taken when your Mommy was about your age (circa Christmas, 1980)... in these pictures, Mama's about my age or a little younger (60 or 61). In the bottom two pictures she's in the house that I built for your Mommy in Waynesville, North Carolina.
My Mama was my #1 fan... I sure do miss her.
Did your baby brother/sister arrive yet? How 'bout your hummingbird feeder?... mine has about 4 hummers that "fight" and feed all day long. Have you had a chance to grow any sprouts?... I've got a batch growing right now.
I love you, Ethan,
Granddaddy
PS. Give me a call sometime: 931-598-9160
Lord, I lift up this precious little boy to you and ask that you would bless him mightily today... teach him to listen to that still small voice which is the Holy Spirit.
I love you, little man... be sure to tell Caleb that I love him too.
I love Ethan & Caleb,
Here's a game that you may think is fun to play... I bet you can get them all right (click on the picture to play):
Well, I've got to go tend the fire and bring in some more wood... I hope y'all are all snug and warm in Portsmouth. Merry Christmas!
I hope you and Caleb had a VERY Merry Christmas and that y'all got lots of neat things from Santa. Maybe your Daddy took some video of you/Caleb and I'll be able to see it soon. Remember "Jesus is the reason for the season!"
Call me and tell me about your baby brother (931-598-9160)... did you get your new T-shirt?
CONGRATULATIONS, Ethan, your baby brother, Caleb Bradley Dail just arrived TODAY!
Ethan, can you guess who this bushy-haired baby is?... it's your
Have a great day, little man, I love you!
Daddy was an Eagle Scout which is probably one of the reasons why he decided to work professionally for the Boy Scouts of America. He was born in McCool, Mississippi and went to Mississippi State University (1934 - 1938) where he majored in agriculture and was a star on the track team. His best event was the quarter mile (440 yards) which is a VERY difficult race because of it's length and the necessity to sprint the entire distance. His best time was within one second of the world record in 1938 (47.2 seconds). He was invited to the Olympic tryouts (Pan American Games) but couldn't afford to go because of the Great Depression.
His marines shot down a Japanese kamikaze which looked like this one.
His marines shooting down that suicide bomber probably saved scores of American lives. This is a picture of the aircraft carrier Essex right after it was hit by a kamikaze:
During the war he married my Mama - your Great Grandmother - on December 15, 1943 in La Jolla, California. These are pictures of "Marty" (Martha Ann Davenport Mauldin; September 21, 1920 - February 24, 2006) taken when your Mommy was about your age (circa Christmas, 1980)... in these pictures, Mama's about my age or a little younger (60 or 61). In the bottom two pictures she's in the house that I built for your Mommy in Waynesville, North Carolina.
My Mama was my #1 fan... I sure do miss her.
Here's Louis Armstrong (aka "Shatchmo"):
The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything wrote in the sand, "Today my best friend slapped me on the face."
They kept on walking until they found an oasis and decided to take a bath.
The one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire and started drowning but his friend saved him.
After he recovered from the near drowning, he wrote on a stone, "Today my best friend saved my life."
Ethan, we should all learn to write our hurts in the sand and to carve the good things in stone... it's even Scriptural... Matthew 18:23-25.
I love you baby, boy,
