Does a good man’s life end at his death?
The answer for daughter Lisa Reinicke was, “No.” Her father was known by many names: Buster, Bill, Billy, Dad, and the Football Flyboy. His deeds, no matter how small, should be passed down to family, friends, and anyone looking for inspiration, and life-lessons from one who worked, lived and part of the Greatest Generation. The Football Flyboy was young, newlywed and a pilot in WWII. He was a good man.
One weekend morning, she determined that his spirit should not stay silent just because his mouth could no longer speak words. “I open my dad’s old air force footlocker - still solid, battleship grey, weathered, and a little rough from travel and age. His name is in white lettering on the front: First Lt William R Cannon.”
What she discovered were yellowed envelopes bound in twine - hundreds of them - that her father had written to her mother. Letters written daily during the last year of WWII and received by his bride. Her daily letters disappeared - only three times during the year, did the “mailman” catch up with him and teased with just a few of the hundreds.
“Before reaching inside, there was a feeling of the hands of time grabbing onto my heart, knowing that this was such a huge part of not only his life but my mom’s as well.”
Meet Bill “Buster” Cannon, the Football Flyboy … a good man with a good life who made a difference.
Lisa Reinicke is the majority holder of Our House Publications and author of 4 published children’s picture books for sale on Amazon and independent book stores. Lisa was honored with the Mom's Choice Gold Award for lifetime literary excellence for her children's book "Wings and Feet in 2017. She is a storyteller and author of 35 children’s stories appearing on local TV shows, elementary schools, and bookstores. The stories have been published in 3 collective recordings for distribution for A Goodnight Sleep Company. She also produced online (virtual) training for service advisors and technicians. Lisa served as head writer and on-camera talent in the videos. Her books are entertaining yet focus on social issues that engage children and parents to discuss. Her four children were all uniquely different ranging from physical differences, adoption, and physiological disorders that lead her following experts in each field to help children overcome the stigma around being different.
Lisa passionately works raising money for charities that improve children’s lives physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
Dad was actually in Scotland not Ireland when he wrote this. But I found that Fish and Chips is English, Scottish,and very Great Britain. So what better day to share this than on St Patrick Day.
He was from Oklahoma where chicken fried stead, mashed potatoes, cream gravy, and especially bread and gravy, where the meal of choice.
The only thing they used vinegar for in Oklahoma was in making pickles, or salad dressing. Certainly vinegar wasn't to be used on food.
So celebrate with Flyboy today enjoying a little Irish food. St. Patrick’s Day with classic Irish pub-style fish and chips. Unlike English fish and chips, which were traditionally serve in folded newspaper, these light crispy beer battered fish and chips are served Irish pub-style piled on rustic torn brown paper bags with fresh-made tartar sauce, lemon and malt vinegar.
Book Excerpt
Football Flyboy: First Lt. Bill Cannon, Piloting More than His Own Aircraft
Before the show started we tried to get something to eat but there wasn’t a café in town that was still open. We finally found a small place that only sold French fried potatoes but they called them chips and they started to put vinegar on them. Can you imagine vinegar on French fries?
Comment on this Bubble
Your comment and a link to this bubble will also appear in your Facebook feed.