He’s the reason I spent the night in a tent for only
the second time in my life.
The first time was in Yellowstone.
Yellowstone was fabulous, but I am not a camping girl.
However, he needed more chaperones for my son’s Boy
Scout Troop trip to Camp Rainey Mountain, so my husband and I volunteered.
I remember staring at the tiny canvas structure held
up by a couple of poles and wondering how both Jerry and I would fit in it. It
was open on the ends. I didn’t know it would be open. Somehow, we squeezed our
big bodies under the canvas. Let me add that no one had thought to mention that
the women’s bathroom was a half mile down a rutted dirt road.
To get there I’d need a flashlight, because that would
be my only light if you’re not counting the moon.
And there were bears. Big ones.
I’ll just
have to hold it till morning, I thought
trying to console myself.
He’s also the reason I found myself chaperoning a
scouting trip to Lookout Mountain. We were to ride the incline railway up the mountain.
Not a fan of incline railways, especially ones at an over seventy-two percent
grade.
Just don’t
look down, I told myself while riding
the railway, and don’t think about that
big mechanism at the top breaking and sending us plummeting down the side of
this peak. (You can understand why it’s not that big of a stretch for me to
write fiction).
I pushed past my fear and did it, because he asked me.
Fact is, whenever my son’s Scoutmaster, Dan Bowdoin,
asked me to do something, I pretty much did it, because I felt as if I owed him.
And I do.
We all do.
In the late sixties, when I was sitting with my boyfriend
chewing my fingernails watching television and waiting to see if his draft
number came up, Dan had already earned a Purple Heart for being wounded in
Vietnam. He served two tours and was awarded three bronze stars among many
other military honors for his heroic actions. That’s when he may have been
exposed to the now infamous defoliant, Agent Orange, which has contributed to
so many vets’ health issues.
He went on to
serve three tours in the Pentagon assigned to the Officer of the Secretary of
Defense, the Office of the Army Chief of Staff for Intelligence, and the Office
of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Major Bowdoin
retired from military service, and earned a master’s degree in public health
and spent the next chapter of his life in food services administration at a large
state university.
He also
volunteered in many capacities in his church, military associations, and
Scouting. As my son’s scoutmaster, he wouldn’t give up until that boy, Aaron, earned
his rank of Eagle Scout.
 |
| Dan Bowdoin on right, my son, Aaron, his other scoutmaster Mr. Dickerson on right |
When the home
stretch came for the Eagle, Aaron had to hike twenty miles for one of his
requirements. Dan Bowdoin with his bad knees and all, walked for all the hours
it took to finish that hike. He couldn’t keep up with my son, but to
show his support he just kept moving along, even with his knee pain, until the
goal was reached. Soon after, he had a knee replacement. Sorry, Dan.
Dan was
always the same―steady, and consistent.
And there was
a reason for that. He had surrendered his life to Jesus Christ during his time
in Vietnam and never wavered from that commitment.
As his former pastor so eloquently said at his service, “Dan was more interested in leaving a
legacy than leaving a memory.” That’s why he was renowned for lifelong
perseverance in his intentional efforts to share the gospel with others.
I didn’t even
know Dan had been sick when my husband called and told me he’d read his
obituary that morning.
Really? No,
it couldn’t be.
But it was.
As I sat at
the service proudly wearing my Eagle Scout Mom pin to honor Dan, I observed the
pew full of Purple Heart recipients, many high ranking military officials, and
a host of other community and church friends including one former United States
Congressman.
Dan had
friends in high places.
However, He most wanted to please his friend in the
highest place named Jesus.
The pastor concluded by saying there are not many
people of whom it can be said on their passing that they helped enlarge the
population of heaven, but it could be said of Dan.
What a legacy!
The pastor went on to suggest that our goal should be
to have the same thing said about us on our passing.
A great challenge, but if we have that friend in high
places like Dan, it’s absolutely possible.
I am going to miss Dan, as I know many others will,
and my prayers go out to his family.
If I ever spend the night in a tent or ride an incline
railway again, I’ll think about him. However, if I don't manage to get around to those things, I can
honor him most by doing what he did, and tell others about Jesus. He’d like that best, anyway.
I love that one of Dan's favorite scriptures has always been one of mine, too: "Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them" (Psalm 126:6). I'd say right about now, Dan's laughing that belly laugh of his, arms loaded with a harvest.