June 13, 2024
On this Father's Day weekend, my mind wanders smilingly to memories of my Dad, real and imagined ...
My Dad, Middleton
McDonald, Jr., was a West Point graduate, Class of 1945. He was a pilot in the
Army Air Corps, the predecessor of the Air Force. He and my Mom met on VJ Day,
August 14, 1945, on the streets of Nashville, Tennessee. She was in school, and
he was training to fly B-17s and B-24s in Smyrna, Tennessee. They were married
a month later, as he was being deployed in Frankfurt, Germany where I was born.
Sadly, he was killed in a tragic plane crash when I was only 16 months old and
my Mom was pregnant with my younger brother.
Since my relationship
with Dad was only as an infant, his impact on my life was through stories,
memories shared with me by others, and my own self-created images of him as a
man and a dad. Here are a few of these:
He was fun-loving,
athletic, and responsible. On the day I was born, he bought and set up a German
electric train for "us." While at West Point, he was a diver on the
swim team, and in Germany coached the Allied Forces European swim team to a
championship. He won the 3-meter diving championship, was in the Olympic diving
trials, and would have probably competed in the 1948 Olympics.
As a military officer
and leader, he learned at West Point to live the motto of "Duty, Honor,
Country." He lived it daily, and my Mom told me that while he was a cadet
at the Academy, the only correct answers to questions from superiors were,
"Yes sir." "No sir." And "No excuse, sir." He
lived with integrity in every way.
He was curious and
adventuresome, and he loved people. In February of 2000, I was thinking
of my Dad because that was the month he was born. It occurred to me that I
could learn more about him by going on the West Point website to look up the
Class of 1945. I discovered that at that time, only about 500 were still
living, and 135 had email addresses, signified by gold West Point crests next
to their names. In an email, I told them about my brother and me, our Mom, and
our Dad. I asked them to share any information, good, bad, or ugly, so that my
brother and I could learn more about him.
I was thankful to receive
40 responses via email, letters, and phone calls. We were also invited to their
55th reunion at West Point, which I was able to attend, and
where I learned even more. While there are too many stories to share here, he
was quite the character, always learning, pushing the limits, and doing his
best to improve. Everyone who spoke with me about him talked of his sense of
humor, his connection with others, and his natural leadership abilities. He was
respected and admired by all.
He was an inspiring role model. As a child, I pored over the 1945 West Point Yearbook, The Howitzer. The class of '45 was quite accomplished as a part of "the Greatest Generation." Many went on to become outstanding Generals and leaders in industry. The athletic teams were among the best in the country, as these West Point cadets were crowned national champions multiple times, had six All-Americans on the '45 football team, and produced two Heisman Trophy winners, Glenn Davis and Doc Blanchard. My Dad and his swim team were champions. My image of this group was that they were winners!
I'm sure the perception
of my Dad, which I've created and grown throughout my life, is much
"larger than life." None of us are perfect; however, in my view, he
was pretty close. The reality is that he was human, as we all are, with the
frailties, flaws, and shortcomings which are part of each of us, and yet he became
for me a person to aspire to be, to look up to, and to emulate. As Vince
Lombardi once said, "We cannot achieve perfection, but if we pursue it, we
can achieve excellence!"
Every day, we are
creating a legacy as role models for others. Our legacy is
being developed whether we know it or not. Make your legacy intentional. Make a
difference in the lives of others.
Dad, you've made a real difference in my life and in the lives of so many whom you touched in both life and death. Thank you for being my Dad. Happy Father's Day in Heaven! I love you and miss you every day. Love, Jay.