George Keith Garner

West Point, 1960

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by James A Garner on October 8, 2020:

GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME. YOUR PRESENCE TODAY MEANS A GREAT DEAL TO MOM AND OUR FAMILY. WE KNOW DAD MEANT A LOT TO YOU. YOU ALL TRAVELING AND SHARING YOUR TIME WITH US IS TESTAMENT TO YOUR RESPECT. IT SURE IS A BEAUTIFUL DAY, AND A PERFECT SETTING TO REMEMBER KEITH GARNER. HE LOVED THIS ZOO, AND FOR THAT REASON WE ARE HERE TODAY. WE THANK THE ZOO STAFF AND BOARD FOR ORGANIZING THIS SERVICE. I ONLY HAVE A FEW WORDS TO SHARE: HOOCCUS, SUKIE, POOKER, SCAT, SLURPER, GIDA-WADA-GIDA-WADA-GIDA-WADA THESE ARE WORDS DAD USED WHEN MY SISTER AND I WERE GROWING UP. HOOCCUS WAS LIKLEY ONE OF MY FIRST WORDS. IT WAS THE NAME OF OUR FIRST DOG. THEN CAME MY SISTER. SHE WAS BORN DURING DAD'S FIRST TOUR IN VIETNAM. WHEN HE SAW HER FOR THE FIRST TIME HE SAID, "THERE IS MY SUKIE-SUE." IT STUCK, RIGHT ELIZABETH? SOME OF THOSE WORDS WERE USED WITH HIS GRANDSONS TOO. POOKER DESCRIBES A GRUMPY KID. SCAT WHEN ANYONE SNEEZED. SLURPER IS ANYTHING BAD WHILE FISHING. LIKE A FISH TOO SMALL TO TAKE THE BAIT, OR ANOTHER FISHERMAN CREATING TOO MUCH WAKE. THE FUNNIEST IS WHILE TICKLING US, HE SAID, "GIDA-WADA-GIDA-WADA-GIDA-WADA". IT STUCK TOO. ONE OF HIS GRANDSONS SAID IT AT DINNER THE OTHER NIGHT WHEN TALKING ABOUT TICKLING HIS GODDAUGHTER. THE PECAN DOESN'T FALL FAR FROM THE TREE AS THEY SAY HERE IN ABILENE. IT'S SAID WE OFTEN DO THINGS OUR DAD DID. I HAVE A FEW FUNNY WORDS OF MY OWN. OUR OLDEST IS NAMED GEORGE, AFTER DAD. WE ALL CALL HIM... "GEORGE". OR JERGE. GORGIE SOCK-OFF OR... WASABI. OUR YOUNGEST SON IS NAME IS EMLEN. WE CALL HIM SCOUT, SCOOTCH, SCOOTCHIE, OR TONKAWAPUM. ANOTHER WORD I WILL SHARE WITH YOU THIS MORNING: HUSBAND EPHESIANS 5:25 READS, "HUSBANDS, LOVE YOUR WIVES, JUST AS CHRIST LOVED THE CHURCH AND GAVE HIMSELF UP FOR HER." PAUL GOES ON IN VERSE 28; "HUSBANDS, LOVE YOUR WIVES AS YOUR OWN BODY. HE WHO LOVES HIS WIFE LOVES HIMSELF." THE COMPARISON OF A HUSBAND'S LOVE TO THE LOVE OF CHRIST RESTS ON HOW JESUS PUT OUR NEEDS BEFORE HIS OWN. DAD EMBODIED THAT LOVE FOR MOM FOR 58 YEARS AND 9 MONTHS. MOM BELIEVES THIS TO BE TRUE WITH HER WHOLE HEART. SHE WAS A MATH TEACHER AND JUST DID THE CALCULATION IN HER HEAD. HE DEDICATED 70.7% OF HIS TIME ON EARTH TO HER. SHE WENT OUT FIVE MORE DECIMAL PLACES TO GET JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME WITH HIM. THROUGH HIS ACTIONS, DAD TAUGHT ME HOW TO BE A HUSBAND. THE LAST IMAGE I HAVE OF DAD IS OF THE TWO OF THEM DANCING AT CHRISTINA'S AND QUINCY'S WEDDING RECEPTION. WE ARE ALL THANKFUL HE WAS ABLE TO MAKE THAT TRIP AND ATTEND. HE LOVED ALL OF US SO MUCH AND WE ALL HAD A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY TO WELCOME CHRISTINA INTO OUR FAMILY, AND TO SPEND TIME WITH HIM AND MOM. OVER THE LAST FEW DAYS, IT HAS BEEN A TOPIC OF CONVERSATION THAT WHILE DAD WAS A GREAT MAN, HE SURE DIDN'T TALK VERY MUCH. WELL NOT MANY OF YOU KNOW THIS. IT STARTED WHEN HE WAS VERY YOUNG. HE LEARNED TO TALK AGE APPROPRIATE, BUT THEN STOPPED TALKING ONE DAY BEFORE HIS SECOND BIRTHDAY. JUST STOPPED TALKING. MONTHS AND MONTHS LATER, HE WAS NEARLY THREE YEARS OLD, ONE MORNING AT BREAKFAST HE SAID, "MOMMY, THIS CEREAL IS SOGGY." GRANDMA OF COURSE WITH DELIGHT GOT HIM ANOTHER BOWL OF CEREAL AND WHILE DOING SO ASKED, "KEITH, YOU CAN TALK, WE ARE SO HAPPY TO HEAR YOU TALK. WHY HAVEN'T YOU HONEY, WHY HAVEN'T YOU BEEN TALKING?" HE LOOKED UP WITH A GRIN AND SAID, "WELL, EVERYTHING HAS BEEN OKAY UNTIL NOW". TALKING REALLY WASN'T HIS THING. HE TRIED TO IMPRESS THAT UPON ME AT AN EARLY AGE. CLEARLY IT DIDN'T WORK. ON A FISHING TRIP ONE EARLY MORNING DAD WHISPERED, "DON'T TALK SO MUCH." IT SORT-OF HURT MY FEELINGS, UNTIL HE SAID, "IT SCARES THE FISH AWAY". WELL OF COURSE I AGREED BECAUSE SINCE HE WAS CATCHING SO MANY, I WANTED TO CATCH FISH TOO. EVENTUALLY THOUGH I FOUND OUT HE WAS WRONG. QUINCY CATCHES LOTS OF FISH AND NEVER STOPS TALKING. IN FACT, QUINCY IS LIKELY THE ONLY PERSON WHO COULD GET DAD TO TALK. THEY WOULD FISH AND TALK FOR HOURS. THEY BOTH TALKED... DAD DIDN'T TELL A LOT OF JOKES, BUT WE ALL ENJOYED BEING IN HIS COMPANY. EVERYONE WAS HAPPY AND EAGER TO VISIT DAD, HOWEVER, HE DIDN'T TALK MUCH. THOSE OF YOU WHO VISITED HIM WILL ACKNOWLEDGE THAT. LATER IN LIFE, WHEN HE COULDN'T HUNT OR FISH ANYMORE, IF YOU WANTED TO SPEND TIME WITH DAD, IT WASN'T TO TALK, IT WAS TO WATCH REPEAT EPISODES OF GUNSMOKE WITH HIM. AND THAT WAS JUST FINE WILL ALL OF US. WHO DOESN'T ENJOY FIVE OR SIX GOOD REPEAT EPISODES OF GUNSMOKE. AS YOU ALL KNOW, DAD WAS A COMBAT VETERAN AND WELL DECORATED. I WAS ALWAYS IMPRESSED THAT DAD BEHAVED IN SUCH A COURAGEOUS MANNER TO BE AWARDED THE BRONZE STAR, THREE TIMES -- AND THREE AIR MEDALS; MEDALS WITH VALOR. WITH VALOR. I WAS IN THE ARMY, FOLLOWING DAD'S FOOTSTEPS. I WAS AWARDED MEDALS. THE ONES I GOT WERE FOR MAKING SURE THE SOLDIERS IN MY COMMAND SHOWED UP TO THE MESS HALL ON TIME. DAD SERVED THREE TOURS IN VIETNAM. I ONLY KNOW ONE STORY FROM THOSE THREE, YEAR-LONG, TOURS OF COMBAT. HE REALLY DIDN'T TALK MUCH, AND VIETNAM WAS NO EXCEPTION. WHEN I WAS A CADET AT A&M, AND LATER WHILE ON ACTIVE DUTY BECOMING MORE INFORMED ABOUT THE CONFLICT, I ASKED DAD SEVERAL TIMES WHAT HE DID DURING THE FIRST TWO TOURS: 1963 -- 1964 & 1966 -- 1967, ESPECIALLY 63 TO 64. INITIALLY HE SORT-OF WAIVED ME OFF AND GAVE VAGUE ANSWERS. EVENTUALLY, AS A SENIOR CAPTAIN NEAR THE END OF MY TIME IN SERVICE, I PRESSED HIM. THOSE WHO KNEW DAD WELL UNDERSTAND THAT REALLY DIDN'T GET ME FAR. I PRESSED HIM, "WERE YOU IN CAMBODIA. LAOS?" AND HE SAID, "JIM (PRONOUCED 'GEE-IUM'), YOU DON'T HAVE A NEED TO KNOW." I RESPONDED, "I HAVE A TOP SECRET SECURITY CLEARANCE, YOU ONLY HAD A SECRET." HE SAID, "YOU STILL DON'T HAVE A NEED TO KNOW..." BUT DID I TELL YOU, WE GOT AN 1/8TH OF AN INCH OF RAIN LAST NIGHT? HE ALWAYS TALKED ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF OR LACK OF RAIN IN ABILENE. WE LIVE IN SOUTH FLORIDA NOW. SEMI-TROPICAL. WE GET MORE RAIN IN ONE DAY THAN ABILENE GETS IN OVER A YEAR. HE WAS ALWAYS IMPRESSED BY THAT. FOLLOWING DAD'S EXAMPLE, I INSTALLED A RAIN GAUGE. DAD DIDN'T TALK MUCH, BUT HE TAUGHT ME TO LOVE HUNTING AND FISHING, AND I TAKE OUR SONS FISHING AS OFTEN AS I CAN. HE DIDN'T TALK MUCH, BUT I KNEW ALL ABOUT EVERY HUNT OVER THE LAST FORTY YEARS. EACH TIME HE GOT A DEER (OR THREE) DURING THE SEASON, ALSO WHEN JEFF GOT A DEER, WHEN TOMMY DID, WHEN HIS BROTHER ARTHUR CAME TO HUNT AND GOT A DEER OR A TURKEY, WHEN JEFF'S GRANDSON CAMERON SHOT ONE, WHEN TOMMY'S DAUGHTER TRACY GOT ONE. EVERY DEER SEASON. AND DURING TURKEY SEASON EVERY YEAR, I KNEW THE LENGTH OF EVERY GOBBLER'S BEARD AND THE LENGTH OF THE SPURS. HOW MUCH THE WILD PIGS WEIGHED. SAME FOR DOVE, DUCK, PHEASANT, AND QUAIL SEASON; EACH HUNT, EVERY YEAR. I LOVE THAT HE SHARED THOSE DETAILS WITH ME. I MENTIONED SEVERAL WORDS IN MY OPENING. NOW ONE MORE: HERO HEROES AREN'T DEFINED BY WHAT THEY SAY, RATHER BY WHAT THEY DO. ACTIONS, NOT WORDS. DAD DIDN'T TALK MUCH. TURNS OUT HE DIDN'T HAVE TO. THE ONE STORY I KNOW OF DAD'S COMBAT EXPERIENCE WAS WHEN HE WAS WITHDRAWING HIS BATTERY FROM A FIREBASE WHICH HAD BEEN OVERRUN. A HOWITZER HAD BROKEN DOWN IN A RICE PADDY AND INSTEAD OF LEAVING IT FOR THE VC, HE ORDERED HIS MEN TO MOVE OUT AND HE STAYED BEHIND WITH THE DRIVER AND AN E-4 TO SECURE THE EQUIPMENT UNTIL MORNING. I DON'T KNOW IF HE GOT A MEDAL FOR THAT ACT, BUT WITH THE SAME GRIT AND DETERMINATION, HE FLIPPED HUNDREDS OF PANCAKES WITH THE KIWANIANS. THOUSANDS OF PANCAKES OVER THE YEARS. AND HE WAS FAMOUS FOR IT. RONALD REAGAN TRAVELED ALL THE WAY TO ABILENE TO FLIP PANCAKES WITH DAD. IT'S TRUE! WE HAVE PICTURES. WITH THE SAME GRIT AND DETERMINATION, HE COLLECTED TICKETS AT THE STATE FAIRGROUNDS -- EVERY DAY DURING THE WEST TEXAS FAIR & RODEO HE COULD BE COUNTED ON TO COLLECT TICKETS. YOU COULD ALWAYS COUNT ON DAD TO DO HIS PART. YOU KIWANIANS KNOW HOW DEDICATED DAD WAS TO THE ORGANIZATION. YOU RECOGNIZED HIS SERVICE OFTEN. WHEN HE CAME TO VISIT MY FAMILY WHEN SCOUT WAS CHRISTENED, HE WAS DETERMINED TO MAINTAIN HIS PERFECT ATTENDANCE RECORD. I WENT WITH HIM TO A MEETING AND I WAS REMINDED THAT THE GROUP DIDN'T GATHER BECAUSE OF THE FOOD. I RARELY MISS A MEAL, BUT THE FOOD REALLY ISN'T THAT GOOD AT KIWANIS MEETINGS. THE TEA IS USUALLY GOOD, WHEN UNSWEETENED. DAD WENT FOR OTHER REASONS -- HE WAS THERE TO CONTRIBUTE. AND TO KEEP HIS PERFECT ATTENDANCE RECORD. GEORGE WAS 2 1/2 YEARS OLD AND WENT WITH US. HE WAS VERY WELL BEHAVED, (STILL IS) AND AS WE WERE LEAVING, HE SAID, "BACCO, WHERE ARE THE 'IGUANAS'? I THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO AN 'IGUANAS MEETING'". AND ON IGUANAS - THIS ZOO WAS A KEY FOCUS AND PASSION FOR DAD . PARTICULARLY ZOO-LUTE DAY, AN EVENT HERE RECOGNIZING LOCAL MILITARY AND THEIR FAMILIES. DAD WAS A CHAMPION OF THE EVENT -- THE FIRST ON THE BOARD TO VOLUNTEER FOR THE TASKS ASSOCIATED WITH THE DAY. ASK KEITH TO DO SOMETHING, AND ITS DONE. WITH GRIT AND DETERMINATION. DAD WAS A HERO TO MANY THROUGH HIS ACTIONS. HE INSPIRED US TO SERVE. ONE FINAL THOUGHT: HE TAUGHT SUKIE AND ME MORE THAN WHAT IT MEANS TO SERVE. THROUGH HIS ACTIONS HE TAUGHT US BOTH TO LOVE OUR KIDS, AND OUR EVENTUAL GRANDKIDS. DAD LOVED TELLING EVERYONE HE WAS THE ONLY MAN HE KNEW WHO HAD SIX GRANDSONS. THROUGH HIS ACTIONS, AND FUNNY WORDS, AND HUNTING AND FISHING TRIPS HE TAUGHT ME TO STRIVE TO BE A HERO TOO, TO BE THE BEST HUSBAND AND DAD I POSSIBLY CAN BE. I MISS HIM WE ALL MISS HIM

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