Bruce George is here in Verbank helping us pack up and he is a goldmine of Tal Humour.
One that I liked : Pop answering Bruce when he asked him how he wanted his beard trimmed : "Like an artist ? Or an insurance salesman ?"
Pop replied : "Neither ! I wanna look like a fuckin brigadier general !"
Bruce persevered : "Like from the Civil War ? " You got it ! he replied "
Having been a second lieutenant in the Signal Core in the fifties and sixties, stationed in Fort Riley Kansas with BIg Red One, Pop had unexpected affection for his days in the Army.
He was famous for having lost his rifle in his first week as an enlisted man. He wasn't issued a second one. As second lieutenant, his responsibilities included drilling the guys during parade. Apparently the first time he went out to this chore, not one man followed his instruction. So thereafter, his Sargent did all the marching orders and Pop was relieved from that duty for the rest of his career and could concentrate solely on filmmaking AND writing speeches for brigadier generals. Aha moment ! So that's how we get to the "brigadier general" !
He ended up being discharged as a Captain.
Post-stroke, as his left brain spun out of control, he believed he was preparing to reintegrate and participate in building the "New Army ".
One idea was for a "Green Core " where the military helped needy farmers with their crops.
Another : military cemeteries with spots for both enlisted parents.
Pop was very concerned that children that had lost both parents would have to travel to two different places to visit the family grave. This last one he told all his aides in Manhattan ! Many of whom had a spouse or family in Iraq or Afghanistan.
His heart was in the right place My mother and I would say apologizing to yet another person recounting this each morning !
Verbank, 2014
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