My Dad passed away from cancer May 14, 1986, but his cancer did not define his life. He was an awesome man who served this country in the US Navy from 1938 to 1945 and was a proud member of the greatest generation. He was born in Roanoke Virginia to a pair of German immigrants. They came over to the US in 1899 and my grandfather was a very successful print setter. My father was raised in Roanoke and attended Jefferson High School. He was in the same graduating class as John Payne, who was the actor that played the lawyer in the “Miracle on 34th Street”.
Dad learned to play the guitar and was in a couple of bands including a short stint in the Freddy Lee Orchestra, but mostly he played in pick up bands. When he was 15, he played at a number of “Speak Easy’s” on Friday and Saturday nights. He would make 15 dollars playing on the weekends and 5 dollars working at a service station all week. Later his loved of music lead him to be a DJ at Roanoke’s first radio station. The station was a cinder block building near where Roanoke Memorial Hospital is today. In those early days of radio, the named bands would actually come to the station to play. One of his favorite stories, and mine, was having Louis Armstrong playing on a Saturday night with his whole band crowded in the little room playing. He said it was a hot August night and Satchmo was slinging sweat, while he played the best jazz he had ever heard. Dad had a special place in his heart for Satchmo, however his favorites were Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman. My ring tone is Sing Sing Sing by Benny Goodman, and I think dad would have liked that.
In 1938, Dad joined the US Navy and was in the Atlantic Core. He was a Radioman 1st Class and would tell you that Washington knew that the Japanese were going to bomb Perl because it was all over the radio. Some people might say it was just conspiracy talk, but in all the years I knew him it was the only conspiracy topics he talked about. He often laughed that he was serving on board of the USS Hornet when he received his draft notice. Being a radioman, he had access to the captain and he showed him his notice and requested be sent stateside to attend boot camp. His request was denied.
After the USS Hornet, he did some time on the USS North Carolina and then he moved to submarines. He was stationed in New England for a while and was in charge of equipping the subs with radio equipment and installing the antennas. He left the cold of New England and emerged in Australia. He loved Australia and often said he wanted to move there. I was game, however Mom said no. In Australia his time in WWII got interesting as he was in charge of communication with many of the Australian spotters we dropped off in the Pacific Islands. He said these chats were the nicest and most terrifying group of fellows he had ever met. They would not just lay low on these islands and give reports, but would engage the Japanese in a terror campaign. They would hunt the Japanese and keep them on guard and nervous.
After the war, he came back to Roanoke and picked up his life. He met my mother in 1948 and they were married. They raised 3 children and after a few careers he retired with the GSA after 25 years. I came a long late in Dad’s life as he was 50 when I was born. I am sure I upset some dreams of retiring on a lake, but he never let me feel that I was keeping him from his dreams. He showed me great love and later in life we became best friends. My Dad was the funniest guy I have ever met and taught me that laughter was not only the best medicine, it is also your best weapon against adversity. He loved to make people smile and do things to brighten their days. We would play off each other and I feel sorry for my poor mother who had to deal with us when we were together. We had a lot of fun. I owe him a huge debit for the lessons he taught me, and can only hope I am half as good of a man as he was. He taught me to love, live and to attack life with humor.
The day he passed he was eaten up with cancer and was coming in and out of consciousness. The nurse came in with a huge pill for him to take and gave her a look like you have to be kidding. She told him, “don’t you look at me that way or I will stick this pill in your ear”. Dad in a very weak voice said, “I can’t hear you real well, where your going to stick that pill does it start with a vowel or a consonant”? Good one Dad, and a few hours later the greatest man I have ever known was gone. Gone, but not forgotten, as I am still telling his last joke almost 30 years later.
I volunteer for this cause for my Dad. Charles J. Hardt II December 24, 1914 – May 14, 1986
I still miss you Dad