Earl Robert Kelton

West Point, 1964

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by Peter D'Alessandro on July 8, 2009:

Once at Fort Carson Buddy let me drive the famous Aston Martin. If I recall correctly it was vintage 1956, had dual ignition, 16" drum brakes and had been rolled or at least raced at Lemans. I also know it had minimal heating capacity and nothing in the way of defrosting the windshield. We'd gone over to Manitou Springs, raced up the mountain and then came back down. This is when I almost got into trouble. We descended at a speed I had no earthly business toying with. On one curve -- I think it was near the Cave of the Winds or whatever -- I came within one photon from losing control; but Buddy was a cool character. He simply said a few words in passing and his calmness along with the relaxed tenor of his voice all but shamed me into the additional concentration necessary to get a grip on things. I was never in the field with him in Nam, but I certainly would have been pleased to have him around when the chips were down. I still can't figure out with our schedule at school how anyone could've found time to write a 100th Night Musical.

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