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.
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