Zachary Mayo- Aug'96 Readers Digest
John C Mabbett (cactusjack@JUNO.COM)
Wed, 7 Aug 1996 22:41:22 PST
The current (August 1996) issue of Readers Digest has an article titled,
"Adrift
in the Arabian Sea". It is the story of a young marine who fell off an
aircraft
carrier at night. The young marine was from Osborn, Idaho, not far from
Spokane.
Lets go back 52 years ago. The young marine, Zachary Mayo, wasn't born
nor
was his mother. His grandfather, George Wild, a Sergeant in the army,
had been
returned from England due to an injury while playing football. He was
assigned
to the Base Signal Office at Topeka Army Air Forces Base.
George and I became friends since we were both from the same area.
George
was born in Spokane and I in Coeur d'Alene.
New Years eve of 1944 George and I went on a little New Years eve party
and at
the party he saw the prettiest little girl he had ever seen. The next
day he
asked me if I knew her and I told him I did. Then he asked me if she had
a
boy friend. When I said no he a asked me to introduce him to her. In
the
meantime the girl got me aside and asked me about that nice looking
fellow, and
did he have a girlfriend. When I told her he didn't she asked me to
introduce
her to him.
Three months later they were married and I was the Best Man.
George had a fatal heart attach in 1969 but his wife, Ila, still lives in
Osburn,
Idaho. I keep in touch during the Christmas holidays and try to visit
her when
we go to Spokane.
Isn't that a beautiful little story?
Cactus Jack