Sunday, August 24, 2008

Happy Birthday, Buck!

Anyone and everyone who is familiar with the works of Douglas Adams knows the significance of the number 42. But today the number means something just a little different to me (and more than a few others). Because it was 42 years ago today YrHmblScrb was pacing the floor of the day room at the 669th Radar Squadron on Vandenberg AFB, California… waiting, in the time honored fashion of countless fathers before him, for the phone call that would come from the VAFB hospital, telling me “Congratulations, Airman Pennington…you’re a father!”

I didn’t get to pace all that much, though, because I had hardly arrived in the day room when the phone rang and I received the anticipated message. The First Mrs. Pennington was in labor for all of about 30 minutes before Ivan Anthony Pennington arrived in this world… which is pretty danged good for one’s first-born. And... just in case you're wondering why I was in the day room and not the delivery room, Buck was born back in the day when fathers were barred from the delivery room birthing suite. I'll withhold comment on that subject.

A lot of water has flowed under the bridge since August of 1966. I’ll repeat what I said last year on this occasion: “As the citations accompanying military awards and decorations always say: ‘By his significant accomplishments and superior performance, Captain Pennington has reflected great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.’ His wife, children, and parents, too.”

Happy Birthday, Buck!

14 comments:

  1. Happy Birthday Captain!!!! :D

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  2. Happy Birthday!

    And 30 minutes? Wow, I am envious. I was in labor 30 hours!

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  3. SN1, Happy Birthday! I hope your day is blessed. I have some comments on the USAF that I will post on my blog, but you guys rock!

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  4. Happy Birthday!! Wow, that's alot of ribbons! I know daddy is proud of ALL of your accomplishments!

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  5. He looks made of ass-kickery, too. Happy birthday, Buck, and congrats to the still-proud papa!

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  6. Thank you, Ladies!

    Becky: TFMP was in hard labor for about 30 minutes. Her contractions began at least three hours before we left for the hospital, which is another (and quite lengthy) story. Which basically had me in some place other than home (work) and her attempts to reach me. It was a near-run thing... as she really DID give birth about a half-hour after we arrived at the hospital. Still, her labor was relatively easy.

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  7. Heartiest wishes for a great celebration Captain Pennington!

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  8. Well, what else can anybody say? Congratulations.

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  9. Happy Birthday, Capt. Buck!

    And congrats to Papa Buck, you done good!

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  10. Happy Birthday!

    Quite an impressive fruit salad there, too.

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  11. Happy birthday, Buck! As a Captain, you have a rack of ribbons that equals the one I had when I retired as a Lt Colonel in 1996! Congratulations, and thanks for your service.

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  12. Happy B-Day Buck, and that means daddy Buck is ____? OK, I just had to do it! Cause you are older than me....

    :)

    I think we all remember when ours were born, I saw the frist two, in 79, and 81, but they tossed me out with the youngest, because of some complications and pending C-Section.

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