Tuesday, April 14, 2020

Swaby Dick


This was Dick, Squadron' HU-4's JO.  JO is short for journalist.  In this picture he is guzzling a beer at the 1965 NY World's Fair, I think Don Lash took it. Dick was the one that sent squadron related news worthy material to the hometown newspapers of the Squadron men, with the hopes they will publish it.  He came well qualified, he was a page for NBC once and another time a page for the Dick Cavitte Show.  Dick had a very deep trained voice and was in the know on all liberal arts entertainment..

Dick was married to Nancy, a nurse.  She was a quiet nature being, or maybe I brought that out of her, like she didn't have much to say when I was in ear-shot.

Dick was discharged from active duty about sic months after me.  He got a job as a newscaster with the NBC Radio affiliate in Harrisburg, Pa., Nancy's hometown.  After they got settled Don and met him there and spent the weekend with him and Nancy.  Before Don got there that Saturday Dick had to man the radio station for a few hours.  Remember NBC'S Monitor?  The show NBC Radio ran off weekends.  Well, Dick didn't have to do much to do, except give the local news and weather, totaling about 5 minutes on every hour.  I vaguely remembering he interviewed me, kinda. 

Don arrived and we, with Nancy and their young daughter went to a Lobster House to eat, and Don and I slept on cots in the basement and that morning we went our separate ways.

Twice in years after that Dick and Nancy on flying to Caribbean stopped in Atlanta and spent the night with us.  One of those times our dog Schatzi, a Schnauzer chose to deliver her pups at the foot of the fold out couch Nancy and Dick were sleeping on.

Since then he moved on up in the news department of NBC, move to Washington, DC, and changed his name.  Moving on up, as the Jefferson song went. 

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