A day late, but ...

[leethet]

Because it was so cool to see other people's veteran dads (but it's a big pic so behind the cut)





The story goes that when war broke out my dad, who was in England and apparently enjoyed dual citizenship (U.S./U.K.), went into a British war office to sign up and said "I want to be a pilot." They basically said "Get real, son." So he said "Screw you" and went to the U.S. Army war office. They didn't let him be a pilot either. :-)

The photo was taken around 1941.

EDIT: I should add, my memory places the picture at 1941, but as it's a studio shot, it's not dated, and it seems to me pretty early for him to look so adult, now I think about it. He was in the army 'til the very early 50s, so in theory it could be that late, but I do think it was during the war.

Comments

[loxleyprince.livejournal.com]

What a lovely photo :-)

[leethet.livejournal.com]

It's nice, isn't it? A little glamoury. :-) I don't know where he had it done.

[glennagirl.livejournal.com]

I love the anecdote, it seems like the beginning of a story. He's quite handsome.

[loxleyprince.livejournal.com]

Yes it is, but also so very "of the period," which adds to its charm.

[franciskerst.livejournal.com]

He is more than handsome, beautiful rather. My father was quite good-looking (and my mother not bad either) but unfortunately I didn't inherited their apparent genes or, if so, in the wrong order!

Interesting story; he was brave as much as seducing. What did he do eventually?

[shayheyred.livejournal.com]

HANDSOME man. He looks like he's about to deliver an Important Speech to the folks at home about how well the military is doing. And we'd all nod and agree because he would be a compelling speaker.

/end fantasy observation

[leethet.livejournal.com]

:-) He was good looking in his day. Some people suggested he should go to Hollywood. He didn't. If he had, maybe we kids would've inherited millions. ;-) Or we would have been way screwed up, as so many children of stars seem to be.

I don't actually know why he couldn't be a pilot - probably because, like most Englishmen of that time, he had left school at 14 to work, and didn't have the education.

[leethet.livejournal.com]

It's funny - in some ways I do look like my dad (I have his eyes, ears and large nose!), but I'm certainly not "handsome" (in the old-fashioned female sense). He ended up with the very unglamorous job of being a mechanic while in the army. From his stories, though, he seemed to more or less enjoy it (insofar as anyone can enjoy being in the military in wartime, you know). After the war he became an airplane mechanic, which was the job he kept 'til he retired. Today (in a very different way) I work with military planes too. :-)

[leethet.livejournal.com]

It's funny - he was quite young in this shot (He can't be more than 20, and probably is closer to 18, as near as I can date the photo), but he does have a very adult manner about him. I suppose men did grow up faster (probably women too) in that era, since so many of them went to work (and to war) at very young ages.

[elmey.livejournal.com]

Great picture, he has beautiful eyes. And I love that story too; he must have had a lot of confidence, though of course when you're that young maybe you just don't know better ;)

[gilda-elise.livejournal.com]

He may have never been a pilot, but he certainly could have passed as one. He looks so dashing!

[leethet.livejournal.com]

Well, that's exactly it, of course - you're young and healthy and full of yourself, and being a pilot was, then as now, a highly romantic and heroic position. :-) But not everybody gets to be a fighter pilot.

I always think of a line from one of the "Alias Smith and Jones" tie-in novels: "Healthy young animals in love with life." That's probably every young man who signed up in those days.

[leethet.livejournal.com]

He does look rather dashing, doesn't he? That photographer did a good job. In most regular ol' photos, he looks nice looking, but not quite so ... you know, glamourous. :-)