October 4th 2009 – A few memories of my grandparents Fife that have had an impact on me in my life. It seems that among many things, stories are part of the inheritance we receive from our ancestors. As the descendents remember them and take them upon themselves, the ancestors continue to live in the lives of their descendents.
Though my grandparents have not passed on, they are already living within me and I just wanted to share a how that is.
Grandpa:
World War II seems to have innumerable stories that have touched the hearts of men. Let me share with you a few more from Leland Fife, as I have been told and remember them.
Leland Fife was a lieutenant on a battle ship in the south pacific whose primary mission was to seek out and destroy Japanese U-boats/submarines. In their efforts to locate and destroy as many U-boats as possible they were only occasionally put under enemy fire, demonstrating the elusiveness of the Japanese U-boats. However, every now and then the signal of a U-boat would come on the radar screen. Usually such a signal was shortly thereafter followed by the onset of enemy fire from the air. One such experience was told like this.
Japanese Zero’s would come wave after wave pelting the deck with machine gun fire and bombs. The Zeros would fly so close to the deck that you could see the faces of the Japanese pilots as they rocketed past you pelting the deck with fire. The machine gun fire would rarely cause much damage to the ships or the crew. The bombs, however, would destroy the air craft carriers landing strips, towers, guns, and personnel with devastating accuracy. Such was the situation that Lieutenant Fife found himself somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. Zeros would by zipping over head dropping bombs, most of which would miss the deck and find a watery landing only to send up a plume of water showering the military personnel nearby. However, occasionally the deck would take a wallop from enemy bombs.
As Lieutenant Fife came up on the ship’s deck to examine his crew he noticed one seaman who’s face was white as a ghost. Nearing the seaman to inquire of him what the matter was , he jumped ship. Apparently he felt the ocean would provide greater safety than the deck of his ship. Turning on his heal to identify the cause of this poor seaman’s great alarm, Lieutenant Fife saw a zero aimed right at him and his ship’s deck. Before he could think to respond, the bomb loaded under the belly of the Japanese Zero detached and started sailing through the air. This bomb, it seemed, did not have the trajectory common of those that found a watery landing. It was falling strait for him. Stuck in that dimension of time in which one is uncertain if time is moving at all, yet feels incapable of doing anything about it, (likely incapable because of the reality of the speed at which things are happening) Lieutenant Fife could only watch and pray. What does one pray for when faced with certain death?
What exactly, I am not sure, the outcome however, is often what makes for lasting stories. The bomb struck only a few feet away from Lieutenant Fife with a sickening thud. “Is this what it is like to be blown to smithereens?” asked Lieutenant Fife, as he felt no harm, concussion or heat from the explosion. “Death, when sudden, is ironically anti-climatic. I feel the same as always. The same weight under my feet, the same ocean breeze across my face, the same sounds of life, and sadly of war blaring in my ears. It must be a cruel joke” Lieutenant Fife thought.
Opening his eyes, Lieutenant Fife found himself exactly where he was just a few minutes ago, nothing had changed. “Certainly heaven is in a different place” thought Lieutenant Fife. It wasn’t until he saw the bomb stuck nose down in the deck, tail still spinning in the ocean breeze that Lieutenant Fife realized that he was still alive. The bomb never exploded!
A second story is no less amazing but faces the wrath of nature rather than that of enemy fire. After many days of boredom in the hot Pacific sun, the Navy fleet saw a dark cloud on the horizon. With nothing of a second thought, the fleet sailed on in search of the elusive Japanese U-boats. The ship captains had seen a few storms before and a dark cloud was not going to stop them from accomplishing their mission. The storm came as most, with wind and rain. The waves came but were of little concern for an American battle ship. In the pelting rain the fleet kept at it searching for the enemy. After only a few hours this storm took on a different character. Winds of several hundred miles an hour, waves of 50 to over100 feet high, a sheet of rain that could fill a gallon bucket in seconds flooded the ship’s deck, lightning would flash followed by an immediate thunderous boom deafening the grinding of the ships riggings. This storm was like no other that the ship’s captain had ever seen. The tight fleet formation was quickly abandoned, as such tight maneuvering was far too dangerous in such treacherous waters. “Every ship for themselves” was the last command from the fleet admiral. Three days of such weather. Sea sick and waterlogged the seaman lost all hopes for salvation at the close of the second full day and night of pounding waves, howling wind, pelting rain and deafening thunder.
On the third day, surprised to still be afloat, Lieutenant Fife went about his morning duties. Hands constantly on the ship’s hand rail to steady himself from being knocked off the gangplank by the heavy and constant rocking of the ship, Lieutenant Fife climbed down into the hull to inspect the engine room. There he was confronted by a seaman running up from out of the hull. As they neared each other, Lieutenant Fife tried to ask what the rush was all about. The seaman simply threw his clipboard from the gangplank and stammered “Taking on water!” and continued to run up and out of the ship’s hull. Unable to move, Lieutenant Fife stared at his knuckles as they blanched white from gripping the hand rail. In this daze, a vision came to him. He saw in his mind’s eye his mother kneeling by her bedside praying for the safety of her son (Lieutenant Fife). He could see in her face great concern and could tell that she could feel that he was in significant danger of losing his life. However, he could also see a face full of faith and knowledge that all would be ok, that Lieutenant Fife would be coming home. That faith filled his body from foot to the top of his head, Lieutenant Fife knew he was going home. This storm, though fierce, would not sink his ship.
The white faded from his knuckles and soon, Lieutenant Fife was whistling along about his duties, apparently oblivious to the certain death about to face him and his ship. In this jovial attitude, Lieutenant Fife went to the commander of the ship to give his morning report. You can imagine the surprise of the ship’s commander. “Lieutenant Fife, have you something good to say?!? You look so !@#!@ happy. Is there something you know that I do not? You may have not noticed, Lieutenant Fife, but we are most certainly going to sink into our watery graves today. I have never in my life seen, nor heard of, a storm of such ferocity as this one!” shouted the commander.
Taken back only slightly by the commanders retort, Lieutenant Fife reported to the commander his vision and knowledge that they were going to be ok. The ships commander, seemed to like what he was hearing. A little settled, he grabbed the loudspeaker and started to address the ship’s entire crew. “Attention! Attention, all hands on deck. Please report to the ball room for a special meeting at 13:00 sharp. Lieutenant Fife has something he needs to say.” Looking back at Lieutenant Fife, the commander advised him that he should prepare his message for the entire crew. Now it is said that there is no atheist in the fox hole and lieutenant fife had heard this before. However, it is also quite apparent to any military man that criticism for warm and fuzzy stories comes quite freely among sailors and seaman. Lieutenant Fife was surprised, taken back, quite unprepared and very nervous about addressing an entire Navy battle ship’s crew concerning his seeing his mother kneeling and praying for her son. The minutes ticked faster and faster, and suddenly the whistling came to a close, the blanched knuckles returned. This time, however, not for fear of his life, but fear of endless criticism from his crew.
The hour came and lieutenant Fife found himself in front of the entire crew, who were not very happy to be there. They all were expecting a gloomy report, a plan for ship abandonment, a last prayer for the sinking sailormen. They were all expecting death. Ironically it was that same thing that lieutenant Fife was wishing for, death.
Fortunately, Lieutenant Fife gathered up the courage to give his honest report, and he addressed the entire crew. After informing them all of his vision, the complaints stopped, no one spoke a word. Silence permeated the entire hall. Even the deafening thunderous booms seemed to respect the spirit of the moment. The meeting was adjourned without a word and all went back to their respective posts. Some believing, some just praying and others fully doubting in what Lieutenant Fife had just reported. Now it was Lieutenant Fife’s turn to start praying, and he did.
That night, nothing had changed. The storm raged on, but by morning’s light, the ocean was a sea of glass. Not a ripple was seen. It was, as reported by the captain himself, the calmest ocean he had ever seen. From the most ferocious ocean to the calmest ever seen all in a few hours duration. From certain death to a peace never before experienced. Lieutenant’s vision was true, they were going to go home.
Another story of prayer…
Long before the war, Grandpa lived at home with his mother and father in eastern Idaho. Grandpa grew up during the later aspect of the great depression and extra cash was a difficult commodity to come by. Despite the difficult times, Grandpa’s family always had enough to get by; food to eat and a roof safe over head. However, money for education was not possible for each of their children, Grandpa included. Despite this lack of money, education was highly sought after and encouraged, even demanded, among Grandpa’s family. When Grandpa’s time to go to college finally came, he was no exception. So it was that Grandpa was to go off to college. His mother always said, the Lord will provide. Grandpa later understood what she meant by that.
What was not determined was how Grandpa was going to pay for his education, living, food, and books. Growing up in eastern Idaho, and interested in agriculture, the nearest agricultural college was the University of Idaho in Moscow, hundreds of miles away. Grandma had enough money to pay for the bus fare, but nothing more. A bus ticket was paid and plans set in motion for Grandpa to go off to school. But no one knew how Grandpa was going to pay for his dinner once he arrived in Moscow, ID.
That night Grandpa’s mother said her prayers and retired to bed as was her well practiced routine. Her prayer was, however, a little more fervent and focused. “How shall my boy pay for his education?” was her resounding question. As her head hit the pillow she fell into a deep sleep. It was in this slumber that a vision came to her. She saw her son stepping out of the bus in Moscow. The bus sped off leaving Grandpa in a cloud of dust, alone and destitute in a town never before visited. Grandma saw in her vision a man working in his yard across the street from Grandpa. This man, she new, would have the answers to Grandpa’s financial dilemma. Grandpa’s mother awoke the next morning calm, rested and resolute, as she knew what to do to provide for her son’s education. Grandpa, on the other hand, was still quite unsettled. Around the morning’s breakfast, Grandma dictated to her son what to expect and how to provide for himself while at school. The dictation was as if she had been to Moscow her self and had already established pre-arranged conditions for Leland’s arrival. She advised Grandpa to speak to the man that would be working in his yard when he got off the bus. He was to ask the man if there was any work for employment. The man would respond. “I have.” And then question, “Can you dig a ditch?” To which, of course, Grandpa would reply by digging a fine ditch. Upon admiration of the quality of the ditch, the man would advise Grandpa that he could stay in his home and work for rent by caring for the land. Grandpa, expecting nothing more from his mother, took the instruction to heart and in full faith boarded his bus to Moscow, ID that afternoon.
Keep in mind that Grandpa’s mother had never before been to Moscow, knew of no one who lived in or near the town, and lived during the great depression, a time when employment was next to impossible to acquire, especially for an untrained/uneducated young man. Despite all of the possible failures of this quest, both moved forward with the utmost of faith.
As dictated by his mother, once the cloud of dust settled in Moscow from the leaving bus, Grandpa walked across the street to the man working in his yard. “Excuse me sir, have you any work for employment?” he asked. “I have” said the man and then questioned “Can you dig a ditch?” Grandpa answered by digging the best ditch he ever had before. The man, upon seeing the quality of the ditch, responded, “Well young man, it seems you know how to work. What brings you to Moscow”? Leland responded by explaining his desire to go to college and his need for lodging and work to pay for school. The man replied, “You can live in my home, as I have an extra room. You can work by keeping the grounds for rent. As for school, I’ll make sure you get in and can pay for tuition and books. I happen to be the dean of the college of agriculture.”
So it was that Grandpa’s mother was right, Grandpa would be able to go to college. The Lord would provide for her and her son in a time of need if only they would move forward in faith.
My memories of Grandpa are ones of a man who was constantly at work and lived by faith.
Grandma:
WWII. Grandma was not idle during the time that her country was at war. She enlisted in the United States Air Force as a nurse. If her sweat heart was going to go off to war, so was she. However, her service was at home in military hospitals caring for the wounded soldiers and not on the battle field. Grandma was esteemed as a fair lady desired by many but faithfully devoted to Leland, even though they had yet to be married. Dove was sent off to nursing school and Grandpa to basic training. Upon termination of their schools, Dove was assigned to a post at Fairmont Air force base Nebraska. There she was under the jurisdiction of a hard nosed officer known for her stern attitude and rowdy behavior when off duty. Grandma was quite a different character. Meek, good willed on and off the base and quiet in disposition. Such a contrast in character often put the two at odds with one another. So it was that it was Grandma’s plight to serve under her command. Grandpa had written to advise Grandma that he was on leave and that it was his intention to marry her. However, he was still at basic training and she in Kansas. They were to meet in Idaho Falls and be married in the Salt Lake Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah. Through previous experiences, Grandpa had learned that such a dilemmas of unknowns was of no concern when you put your foot forward in faith. So he set off to Idaho Falls. However, his foot was on the wrong bus. By the time he realized his error he was headed south toward Texas. He advised the bus driver who responded by informing him that he could be let off at the road side (middle of nowhere, America) and wait for another bus that would be returning on the same road headed to Idaho Falls that same day. Grandpa got off the bus and waited. By and by the bus came, but came with standing room only. Undeterred Grandpa boarded the bus and stood from Arizona to Idaho falls, ID!
Grandma’s dilemma was of similar plight. She was not to have leave for some time and the only way to get it was to request it from the hard nosed officer who was so crass and uncaring. To make the situation worse, if she was to arrive home in time she would have to leave the next day. Well, Dove wasn’t going to let Leland pass by without her best effort and so she left her dorm and ran to the office of her crass old officer. Surprisingly she was still at her office, instead of out painting the town red, as was her custom. Dove entered the office, swallowed hard and explained her situation. “I intend to catch the train in town (2 hours away) tonight and go home to get married. Leland is on leave and we only have ten days before he’ll be shipped off to fight in the war…” So on and so forth explained Dove. The crass old lady listened and surprisingly took to Dove’s side and told her not to worry about getting leave, she would take care of that. Additionally, It just so happened that she was headed to town that very evening. If Dove could get her things ready in 1 hour then she could catch a ride with her.
Grandma was packed in 30 minutes and waiting outside the crass old officer’s home in 40. Off they went to catch her train. Fortunately for Grandma, she didn’t have to stand the whole way home.
Once home Dove went to see her father and told him of her plans. Understandingly he advised Grandma that her cousin would be leaving to Idaho Falls that weekend where they could be married. Travel during this time was strictly limited due to the war effort and finding a ride to Idaho Falls was a task in of itself. It seamed, however, that things were falling into place quite nicely for her and her sweat heart. She left the next day to Idaho Falls to meet Leland and get married.
Leland arrived shortly thereafter knocking on her uncle’s door. Opening the door Dove jumped into his arms. All Leland could say was “Please, let me sit down!”
Leland’s parents were able to travel to Salt Lake City that weekend and the happy couple left to seal their love for each other. The trip was, like most, just a little less than perfect. Arriving in Salt Lake Valley, they got a flat tire. Well the marriage could not wait, so Leland and Dove left with Leland’s mom to get married, while Leland’s dad went in search of a new tire to replace the flat. During the war effort, tires were very hard to come by, and it wasn’t until after the marriage ceremony was over that a tire was found and the newlyweds could return home to Idaho Falls.
Leland and Dove were married in the Salt Lake Temple that weekend and four days later they went their separate ways. Leland off to the south Pacific and Dove back to Nebraska. They would only see each other for less than 30 days over the next 2 years. Each however, stayed faithful and their hearts grew fonder and fonder as the physical gap between them grew wider and wider.
At the close of the war many soldiers and nurses were coming home. There were however, many who had signed “for the duration of conflict”, among this group was both Leland and Dove. However, as the war closed, the government was happy to get as many of its employee’s off their paycheck list as possible. First, Grandma and unknown to Grandma, Grandpa was later relieved of duty prior to the official “end of conflict”. Dove returned home to her parents, with no husband to share her bed. Fortunately it was the holiday season and such kept her quite busy helping the family prepare for dinners and gatherings. But nothing short of Leland himself could keep the hole in her heart patched perfectly.
Christmas day came and with it a knock at the door. To everyone’s surprise the unexpected visitor was none other than Leland Fife. Dove’s sweat heart had come home at last, and with perfect timing!
My memories of Grandma are of a devoted and true wife always dedicated to caring for her children and making her sweetheart’s ambitions a reality.
