Edward Roy Hindman

West Point, 1949

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by Susan Lee Hindman on February 17, 2012:

My Dad was born in Omaha, Nebraska and had five sisters and one brother. Dad and Mom drove my brother and me to visit his childhood home there a number of times and we often went to visit his oldest sister who was my Aunt Mae. She had a baby grand piano in their library where she gave me her own piano sheet music to play and to keep that is the well known and beloved old English childrens counting and nursery rhyme called Nick Nack Paddy Whack. My Dad loved this simple childlike happy tune with its endearing lyrics that I played at home on our grand piano for many years. The sheet music was copyright in 1958 in London by B. (Bert) Feldman and Co., Ltd. for the release of the British/American co-production 20th Century Fox film The Inn of the Sixth Happiness starring Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman based on the true story of English housemaid Gladys Aylward who became a Christian missionary to North China in the years before WWII. The movie was based upon the book The Small Woman written by Alan Burgess in 1957. Nick Nack Paddy Whack was adapted and arranged for the movie by Sir Malcolm Arnold as The Childrens Marching Song. The story unfolds where Miss Aylward learned to speak Chinese and eventually became a Chinese citizen and housed many orphaned children in an inn and taught wayfaring travelers the greatest story in the Holy Bible about our precious Lord and Savior Jesus Christ while providing them with bowls of rice and a place to stay overnight. When the Japanese invaded China, Miss Aylward led and marched some 100 children to safety and freedom over treacherous mountains for three weeks and they all sang this simple little marching song together to keep their minds and hearts encouraged. THE CHILDREN'S MARCHING SONG (NICK NACK PADDY WHACK) This old man he played one He played nick nack on my drum With a nick nack paddy whack Give a dog a bone This old man came rolling home This old man he played two He played nick nack on my shoe With a nick nack paddy whack Give a dog a bone This old man came rolling home This old man he played three He played nick nack on my tree With a nick nack paddy whack Give a dog a bone This old man came rolling home This old man he played four He played nick nack on my door With a nick nack paddy whack Give a dog a bone This old man came rolling home This old man he played five He played nick nack on my hive With a nick nack paddy whack Give a dog a bone This old man came rolling home This old man he played six He played nick nack on my stick With a nick nack paddy whack Give a dog a bone This old man came rolling home This old man he played seven He played nick nack on my deven With a nick nack paddy whack Give a dog a bone This old man came rolling home This old man he played eight He played nick nack on my gate With a nick nack paddy whack Give a dog a bone This old man came rolling home This old man he played nine He played nick nack on my vine With a nick nack paddy whack Give a dog a bone This old man came rolling home This old man he played ten He played nick nack on my hen With a nick nack paddy whack Give a dog a bone This old man came rolling home Matthew 18:1-5 says, "At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, and said, Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me". I sang this favorite song of Dad's to him when I visited him in the hospital shortly before he passed into eternal life in heaven. Dad most humbly and willingly accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior forever towards the end of his earthly life as I led him in the sinners prayer and baptized Dad in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. I will never forget Dad as he looked up to me from his hospital bed with his large and beautiful clear blue eyes during one of the last times that I saw him still coherent. I really look forward to the day that we shall all be reunited and restored together again as a Christian family!!! With much love in our gracious and forgiving Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Susan Lee Hindman, Christian daughter and Administrative Assistant to the Principal Director for Enterprise Services Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Office of the Secretary of Defense The Pentagon (703) 697-7448 direct telephone line

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