Hey DinwiddieProud

[uvacavs1]

I just wanted to say thanks for your input and insights over on the 1A board (and elsewhere supporting the kids) on the Essex memories thread. Your comments sent me on one of my tangents, ha. I have been known to do that. I know that kind of stuff is not everyone's cup of tea but I enjoy it.

Sorry if you guys discussed this already (I was on the road a lot from late June to the end of July) and may have missed a discussion on this topic but meant to bring it up with you and the time went on.

About a month or so ago, I read an article in the Richmond paper that I found very touching. It was about your community's long time football announcer, Bill Knot, retiring. What a fine man. He volunteered and served the Dinwiddie community for over 50 years!!! He only missed like one or two games in all that time. I am sure he is a beloved figure in your area! He also was an army veteran if I recall correctly.

Please let Mr. Knott know that this proud Northern Necker thanks him for his service to his country and his community. I pray for his continued good health.

My Dad has always made us go out of our way to thank our servicemen and women wherever we go. Dad is also a US Army veteran - 82nd Airborne, Vietnam War Purple Heart recipient. (He somehow survived three shrapnel hits to chest/stomach back in '65.)

Dad's top 4 teachings - 1) Love God 2) Love Family 3) Always treat everyone the same: with kindness, no matter if they are multi-millionaires or have nothing 4) Always give back to your community in whatever ways you can.

Dinwiddie's Mr. Bill Knott is the epitome of those values!

 

[DinwiddieProud]

Thank you very much, sir. I will certainly share what you said, with him. Incidently, his health is currently holding up well. He has incurable cancer, but so far it is leaving him alone.

His daughter is also an Army veteran. And was by his side for many of those years in the press booth.

In a small, wierd way, I have a family connection to him. You may recall that he was the Dinwiddie County Administrator for many years. His Assistant Administrator for most of those years is a life long friend of my wife and I. She and my wife graduated together from Dinwiddie, and for most of those high school years we double dated together. After she returned from college and went to work for the county, we remained close. Our admiration for her was such that we named our daughter after her.

She and Mr. and Mrs. Knott are extremely close to this day. A lot of the success she had in her career was due in part to the mentorship of Mr. Knott.

I too, never miss a chance to thank a veteran. I hope you still have you mom and dad, and if you do, thank them both for me. As you know, it's not just the person serving that sacrifices.

I'm only half kidding when I say that my mother never really forgave my father for re-joining the Air Force for the Korean War. He was a pilot and flight instructor for B-17's in WW2. As a consequence, he did not get to go overseas to fly missions. When they offered him B-29's in the Korean War, he re-I listed and went off and left my irate mother with four toddlers. They must have worked out their difference when he came home, because I'm a post Korean War baby.

Thank you again for the kind words. You are one of my favorites on the forum and hopefully we will finally get to meet somewhere along the lines this year.

 

[uvacavs1]

Wonderful stories! I enjoyed them. Thanks indeed for sharing!

Sorry for the later response, I took my girls down to the pier. I usually just read and enjoy a cold beverage but they asked me to swim so I jumped on in They are growing up way too fast. One has just started playing high school sports (a new sport for me to study and enjoy ha).

Yes, I think that I would really enjoy meeting you (and maybe catching a Dinwiddie game - I have never seen the Generals play) We could discuss sports and our crazy politics (I enjoy a rational political talk - quite difficult to have with most folks these days ha).

I am so glad that Mr. Knott is doing well. I'd sure like to shake his hand if I can make a game. Plus, I wouldn't mind seeing K'Vaughan Pope play. It's always fun have a connection (however small) when watching college ball. Also, I enjoy observing and learning about success stories of any kind. I'm pretty sure Dinwiddie has not always been a football power but I do not follow the higher classifications that closely.

Let me check the schedules and see if I have an open Friday night that does not conflict with my other interests and commitments.

 

[uvacavs1]

Oh, thanks DP for asking about my folks. They are indeed still alive and kicking ha! My Daddy is as wild as ever (he loves to meet new people and hear their stories - and dance to his beloved Eastern Carolina Beach music!).

Lastly, since you are also interested in military and history, my Dad fought with the 7th Cavalry in Vietnam (made famous by Mel Gibson's film based on the great book "We Were Soldiers Once...and Young.").

If we ever get to meet up, remind me to tell you the details of the story of how the doctors had left my Dad for dead in the aftermath chaos as he had less than a 10% survival rate. A nurse appeared from literally nowhere and begged them to go back and make the attempt to save him.

My Granddad, also a WWII vet who had gone from a full head of brown hair to completely white during Dad's tour, was informed of this "miracle" in correspondence with an Army Chaplain many months later - anyway we call this stranger "our Family Angel."

My sisters have encouraged me for years to research, write and publish the full story. Do you think it would be a worthwhile project? I mean to others outside my family clan. The story of why he volunteered is pretty cool too.

Many people went to college to avoid serving in the war. My crazy Dad dropped out of college to sign up. He said all he was doing was partying - might as well be productive and go fight for his country.

Sorry to go on but I thought you might enjoy that story. I will look over the Dinwiddie schedule in just a bit. Sounds like it could be a fun time!

 

[DinwiddieProud]

Sounds like a great plan. Just let me know when. Hopefully your family can make the trip as well. You just know that I now have to meet your dad?

I'm not sure how rational a conversation with me would be, but it should be at least good for a laugh.

I know what you are saying about that "connection" to a kid, even if we only see them play once. There are a number of colleges that get my attention because of "this player" or "that player" are on the team. I watched Frank Mason shoot our lights out enough that you would think the last thing I wanted to see was more of him, but he is just an unbelievable talent.

If it doesn't work out so that you get to shake Mr Knott's hand personally, trust that I will personally do so in your stead.

I came along at the tail end of the Vietnam War. I graduated high school in 1972. Anti war crap was raging. I honestly intended to join the air force out of high school. (Because of my fathers past military). I wasn't anti-war or anything of the sorts. It was only because I had a darn good job, an even better girlfriend, a car, a boat, and other interest. My life has been good, but I regret more than anything else in my life, that I did not serve my country. Your dad, my dad, and countless others gave so much so we can be safe and free. I owed them a debt I did not pay.

Do you realize that every person that ever wrote a book wondered if anyone would even be interested in reading it? I'm here to tell, write the story. Three reasons. 1). Your dad and your family deserve for his story to be told, 2). If not you, then who, and 3). this country, this crazy population of citizens desperately needs to hear his story.

Something that I always tell people is that you "never know who is watching". What I mean by that is every time you talk with someone, every action you take in your daily life, somebody hears it or sees it. And you never know what impact you are having on someone. It can be as simple as complementing somebody at McDonalds for being courteous. Or more obvious if you are a teacher or a boss. Or just doing the right thing when nobody is looking. Somebody always sees you.

I've been around long enough to have accumulated plenty of lessons in life. I can recall plenty of people and their actions that influenced me, and they were never aware that I even noticed. Sometimes they set the good example that I wanted to imulate, sometimes just the opposite.

Now to you writing your dad's story. A tremendous portion of these influences in my life came via the written words I have read.

What your dad did, what he experienced, the fact that God sent an Angel to save him, what his dad and other family members endured, this has to be shared. There is someone that doesn't realize it, but they are destined to be changed by your dad's story. Remember, "you never know who is watching".

It is me that is going on and on. I better stop before I get a call from Matt and he reminds me that ''this is a sports forum"! But, at some point in the future, I will share the story of my father in laws experience during WWII. He was Army also. His story is sad, but very telling.

 

[uvacavs1]

Thank you so much DP for your thoughtful and encouraging response. I really, really appreciate it. I also did not serve. I would love to hear at some point your father in law's WWII stories. Sorry to go so far off the topic of sports!

Now back to Football - Looking over the Dinwiddie schedule, there are few possibilities. Of course, the best date is a far away game - but an amazing game it looks like - the September 8th battle at Salem.

I'd like to see a home game. I'll keep checking it out. Thanks again!