Jackson's Lemon and Lee Out Lee In

Sometimes, though not often, a smooth solution appears for a thorny dilemma. In last week’s post, I wrote about the renaming of Robert E Lee Elementary School in Austin, Texas as a close-to-home example of the movement to erase things “Confederate” from the public domain--school names and mascots, statues in parks, on university malls, and on courthouse lawns, and the old Rebel battle flag just about anywhere but in a museum display.

So far, the political push has brought about changes in some places, and not in others. I’m half smiling as I report that Lee Elementary School in Austin will remain Lee Elementary School. But Robert E. is being replaced with Russell. It is now Russell Lee Elementary School. The school in question was built in the 1930’s, and lies just north of the University of Texas campus. Russell Lee lived in the neighborhood and served as the first Chairman of the UT Photography Department, a course of study which he initiated at the university. His own work with a camera is well known and he’s recognized as a Texas pioneer in the field of photography.

How nice is that little bit of serendipity and common sense on the part of the Austin School Board. Hoorah for them, and hoorah for whoever suggested Russell Lee as an acceptable compromise name. Regretfully, as with most compromises, the advocates for both sides will not be truly pleased with the outcome.

Moving on, how about this photo of Little Jackson sleeping. I know I’m not his daddy. But I am his daddy’s daddy.  I easily get all mushy looking at him and the daughters of our other son, especially when they’re sleeping.  What I really wonder, is what the little rascal is dreaming about to bring on that bare hint of a Mona Lisa-esque smile. I’d really like to know.

And now I wonder if ole Leonardo was painting his daughter’s daughter when he did the world famous portrait. If so, I bet Grandpa Leo been wondering for twenty years about her sleeping wisp of smile and just decided to let folks forever more worry over it, too. Such a smile on a sleeping babe is nothing but cute and precious. On the lips of a teenage girl, I expect it’s time for daddy to worry and keep the shotgun handy, or the crossbow in Leonardo’s era.

And a Jackson tidbit for a Civil War connection. We took Jackson to eat lunch yesterday at a café. His granny Nita gave him the lemon slice out of her ice tea. He grabbed it and licked the sour side all through lunch.

My Confederate historian friends will understand that our kids named Jackson correctly, because Stonewall Jackson is widely known for his love of sucking lemons during battle. I’ve twice visited Stonewall’s grave in Lexington, Virginia, and both times a bunch of bright yellow lemons were laying around his big tombstone inside the iron fence.

Finally, it’s Memorial Day Weekend, and today I want to remember the only two American soldiers from my generation’s war—the Vietnam War—who I knew by name, and who gave “their last full measure.” First was a classmate at Longview High School, Edwin Bodenheim, who was an Air Force pilot and died on a mission. The second was Robson Wills, an Army officer, who was my brother’s college roommate and close friend, who died in combat leading his infantry platoon.My hat is off and prayer said in the memory of their sacrifice.

And since Memorial Day began as Confederate Decoration Day, here’s to the memory of my great-great-great grandfather, William Gill, of the 6^th Mississippi Regiment, CSA, who died of his battle wounds in 1863.

William Gill’s death as a Rebel soldier is the reason the Todd side of my family landed in Texas. My granny remarried, and William's son, Elijah Gill, didn’t like his new stepdad. So, at age 12, he took Cricket--the family mule, and rode to East Texas from Chunky, Mississippi. Elijah must have been a tough little fart. He became a Texas Ranger for a couple of years and then a jailer. His daughter married a Todd. Here’s a photo of my mother, born Betty Lou Todd, who is now 90, and her great grandpa Elijah holding Baby Betty in 1925.

I hope everyone has a terrific holiday weekend and stops for a moment along the way to remember what this holiday is all about.