Leland Stanford Riggs

West Point, 1955

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by Bundy on January 7, 2002:

Folk, About this time of year, as long as I can remember having classmates, a Christmas thought has come to me. It is one I have never told anyone about, even the Lovely Val or any of my best friends. It concerns Buck Riggs. Leland Stanford Riggs, Jr., a onetime roommate from Pulaski, Va which we called Pulsacki just to bug him. You see, Buck was a magnificent person. If ever you wanted to start pickin' and choosin' among who amongst us has represented what we wanted our class to be, Buck would be a finalist every time. His accomplishments were manifest. Think of what he did in his short life, in the Service, as a designer/builder, as a most respected and beloved educator, as a scratch golfer, and as a person filled with good will and delightful humor. It is about his humor that keeps bringing me back to Buck every Christmas. Buck was a great fan of Pogo, which was the most popular comic strip going when we were at school. Buck would always grab our paper first thing to see what Walt Kelly had come up with now and would generally read it aloud to us because he couldn't wait for us to hear. And it was always something about Pepe lePeu, or Houndog with his soft brown eyes or about the lurking buzzard, Sarcophagus Macabre. Or his very favorites, the three wiseass mice in the corner. Their names were Bewitched, Bothered, and Bemildred. But what Buck did every year was to begin singing his favorite Christmas carol, obviously also from Pogo. So every year I mentally sing it with him even if now it does bring water to the eye. Maybe this year, some of you would like to help me: "Deck us all with Boston Charlie Walla Walla Wash and Kalamazooa, Nora's freezing on the trolley Swaller, dollar, cauliflower, Aligaroo" Goodnight, sweet friend, Merrie Crispness. Bundy

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