America

Pete Lawson19 Comments on America

 

I grew up in Ticonderoga, NY a Revolutionary War town where the local radio station WIPS announced every hour, “In the Shadow of the Great Stone Fortress Fort Ticonderoga.”   Like most New England towns it’s so rich in history that some people are still fighting the Revolutionary War just to maintain the tradition.  I clearly sensed this at a young age from locals who had a strong distrust of government and especially strangers from foreign countries like New Jersey.  When I was in high school New York’s drinking age was 18, so the weekend of my birthday I marched into Tucker’s Tavern like I owned the place to order my first brew.  Barely in the door the owner Floyd Tucker said “let me see your ID.”  He looked at it, gave it to Pat McVeigh an off duty cop who handed it down the bar to a LaPointe, who slid it to a Donavan, who showed it to a Blanchard, who tossed it to a Devaney, who handed it back to Floyd Tucker.  “Is your father Jerry Lawson?”  Yeah.  “What do you want?”  What I wanted to do was leave; I felt like I was in a time warp with a secret militia plotting to seize The Fort from the British.

Fort Ticonderoga is a completely restored Revolutionary War fort and museum; it’s beautiful in all aspects.  Part of its pageantry is a live fife and drum Corp which performs throughout the day playing traditional tunes and firing muskets.  My brothers Chris and Mark and our cousin John played in the fife and drum corp for summer jobs in high school.  That was a neat gig compared to mine cleaning out the hospital morgue after autopsies.  In between sets the Corp would lounge around shooting the bull and practicing their instruments; but on occasion they would sneak beers in for lunch.  Mark spiced it up one day and shared a fruit punch called “Purple Jesus” loaded with grain alcohol.  For the last set the Corp stumbled in late and drunk, but won over the tourists by playing the Schaefer Beer song, “Schaefer, the one beer to have when you’re having more than one.” 

Mark died several years ago after a private battle with cancer.  I don’t know why he walked that trail on his own other than most people from Ticonderoga, including myself, are pretty stoic about dealing with life’s tough hurdles.  At the last moment I asked John if the Fife and Drum Corp could play at his funeral.   I didn’t expect that to happen given the short notice, but my classmate Mike Edson and a younger Corp member dressed in full uniform showed up at the burial to play several Revolutionary War tunes including “Whip Jamboree” and “Johnny Cope”.  Saint Mary’s Cemetery is the same spot where the Army Honor Guard presented my sister Sheila the folded triangle flag at my Dad’s burial a few year’s before on another summer morning.

July 4th is a few days from now.  It’s a special holiday celebrated coast to coast with Americans of all colors enjoying the day marching in parades, waving flags, and relaxing with their families.  There are a few who say America is not what it was or worse yet it’s an awful place.  I can’t square those thoughts knowing millions of people from other countries have waited in line for two centuries to live here.  America is special since it’s anything but static and constantly changing.  Immigrants who arrived on Ellis Island in 1880 wouldn’t recognize it today anymore than my father would now or my sons will thirty years from today.   Thankfully, our little towns like Ticonderoga preserve history for us to remember not what America once was, but instead the people we once knew that made us into who we are today.  On this July 4th I’ll raise a glass to them for sure and I trust you will too.  Slainte.

19 Comments

  1. Pete,
    Another great post full of memories of the good ol days. Mark introduced me to the fife and drum corps when I was 14, and boy did we have a great time. We spent many hot summer days sipping Jack and Coke before marching into the fort for the 3:30 performance, the last of the day. The late afternoon tourists always saw our most “entertaining” performances. And Mark always made sure after we finished the Schroon Lake July 4th parade that a cold case of Molsons would be waiting in the car. We enjoyed those days of the simple life, and loved every minute of it. By the way, this year is the 50th anniversary of the fife and drum corps, and many will reunite for the July 4th parade and at the fort on August 4th for special performances. And Johnnie Cope and Whup Jamboree will be part of the parade set list. Mark, I’m sure, will enjoy it. See you soon!

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    1. John, we certainly have an infinite library of great stories growing up in Ticonderoga. It’s way too high of a hurdle for new generations to climb over. Pete

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  2. Can’t believe the Ti-Moriah football rivalry is over! Ti will be going to eight-man football next season and playing in a different conference

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  3. Pete, another great post, thanks for putting things in perspective. Hope you have a great 4th of July with family and friends. Don’t forget your ID!

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  4. Pete, another great post, hope you’re able to enjoy the Fourth with family and friends! Thanks for all these great posts, they help put things in perspective..

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  7. Beautifully written post Pete. Happy Fourth of July to you and Diane and your family. Safe travels. On the 4th my Coors Light will have to do,but that Purple Jesus 💜 is what I will be laughing about. God bless you and your family.

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  11. Pete, Another very well written and entertaining post. The reference to the Fife Corp playing a Beer jingle ( under the influence of Purple Jesus ) is hilarious. Hope to see you in Ti over the 4th. Regards, Kevin

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Thanks for reading and letting me know your thoughts!