John Wayne and The Alamo

 

For Christmas, Emily, Sean, Soren, and Sebastian gave us a gift card.

We spent it last week, or part of it.

We bought a DVD of John Wayne's 1960 film The Alamo.

I remember this film well.  

My father and I (who I miss more with each passing year) went to western films all of my childhood.  At least once a week.

One that we saw, when I was 12, was The Alamo, with John Wayne as Davy Crockett.

After watching it I was all inspired and moved.  On our way to the car after seeing the film, I was excitedly telling my father what a GREAT movie it was.

My father was silent.

The next day he said "We're going to go to a movie tonight that shows you what war is really like."

We went and saw Mein Kampf.  It changed me.  This film was about Hitler, WWII, and the treatment of Jews.  

It was NOT The Alamo.

Fast forward 10 years.  I applied to be a Conscientious Objector during the Vietnam era.  I believed that if I was awarded that status that I would probably go to prison...or worse be assigned Medic duty in Vietnam (both of which I was preparing myself to do).

In my application for Conscientious Objector status, and in my in-person interview with my draft board, I mentioned this incident about The Alamo and Mein Kampf.  And how it affected me.

My father, a WWII Veteran, spoke on my behalf.

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And now, for one of life's weirdnesses.  

For as long as she would let me, every other night I would sing my daughter Emily a lullaby before she went to sleep.  She's in her 40s, and if I asked her now, she'd probably tell me I could do it again any time I wanted to.  

I sang one of two songs.  One was the John Denver song For Baby.  After the part where the lyrics go "and the wind will whisper your name to me...."  I'd softly whisper "Emily, Emily."

The other song was from The Alamo.  Tennessee Babe.  Where the lyrics go "oh Lisa, sweet Lisa...."  I'd change the words to "On Emily, sweet Emily."

Just who gave our children the right to grow up?  I'd like to find the guy who did and tear his eyes out.

Sometime this week Vicky and I will watch The Alamo.  First time in over 60 years.  I will think about my father, the Vietnam War, my application, and, most of all, Emily.  I'll probably cry.