Before he was Bowpea, Jim was a dough boy whose mother wrote his given name on the back of the photo (below) in case he didn’t return from the war in Europe.
Jim only had one brother and that brother had divorced his Protestant wife to marry a Catholic woman. He had fallen from grace with a mighty thud. So it seems unlikely that Jim’s mother would forget the angelic face of her youngest and still in good graces son. Perhaps she did it to protect him; like a silent prayer whispered to the war gods. Bring my boy home.
According to Wikipedia, dough boy was a nickname for a member of infantry until WWII when GI became the preferred term. There are several theories as to how the term dough boy came about, ranging from the color of their dust covered uniforms to what they ate. None of them are very heroic sounding. I’m glad they no longer use that term.
Fortunately for me, Jim did return home and had a long and reasonably happy life. Until he got saddled with the silly moniker of Bowpea by his eldest granddaughter, that is.
Bruce longed to fly but his mother wanted her only son firmly on the ground. In the end, she was not able to keep him grounded but, with the help of her powerful step-father (known only as The Judge), she was able to keep him stateside until the end of the war. Bruce was not happy with his mother or The Judge. For the rest of his life, he surrounded himself with flying aces, men who had flown combat missions.
Below is Bruce with one of his buddies, Captain W.U. Gray, affectionately known as Wug.
Captain Wug was renowned for his eclectic vocabulary which I tried to capture in my first book, Flipka.
“You must forgive my meritorious comrades their resistance to melioration,” Captain Wug interjected. “Referring to Cavalry (Peak) as a monadnock is hardly a grievous malapropism. However, my curiosity remains unabated. Why is a charming young lady such as yourself interested in that area of mystifying moraines? ”
Yes, that’s really the way Captain Wug (his obit here) spoke.
Another of Bruce’s buddies was this guy who was born and raised in the same town in Montana:
Hub was not modest about his heroics, like Captain Wug. He wrote several books highlighting his exploits: Zemke’s Stalag, Zembe’s Wolf Pack, The Hub: Fighter/Leader. Although he dragged Bruce and Wug into several unsuccessful business ventures, I’ll forever associate him with the bags of oranges he always brought with him from his ranch in California. From bombs to oranges – what a life.
Of course, they were the lucky ones.
Never Forget.
Saying nothing in particular 
For some, it is, indeed, hard to forget and I hope I never do.
Beautiful. So Bowpea- which I always imagined as Bopee, your spelling is slightly more flattering as mine seems to rhyme with go pee, had one brother and four sisters and was he the youngest. His facial features are so aesthetically balanced, handsome man. Was the story about the opportunity to invest in Tampax close to accurate.
The pictures I remember of grandmother Jameson did not seen as attractive as Bowpea.
Well, we sold the boat and my rental condo, I think we should rent a coastal house for a week or month next summer, would you and Joel like to join us? Maybe Santa Cruz?
Let’s find that river that flows to Orinda!
Aunt Lucy was born after Bowpea so it was really five sisters and one brother. Poor Harriet (g-grandma) Santa Cruz sounds good – I know a great place – let’s talk. Happy Veteran’s Day to Dave – I seem to recall he did his bit.
Please keep sharing these stories. They are so important.
Many of the doughboys were the sons of recent emigrants and many were teenagers. I can’t imagine sending a son off to fight in a distant war but it happens all the time.
It does, sadly.
That song, ‘Bring him home’, always raises the biggest lump ever in my throat xx
So many didn’t come home – the beaches of Normandy are kept preserved in time so we won’t forget.
How could you ever forget, no matter how distantly involved? xx
Jan, what a great tribute and story! Be well.
Thanks Charlie – hope you and Liz are well!
A moving and beautiful post, Jan
Thanks Robbie!
💗
We must never forget these amazingly brave men 💜🍁🍁🍁
Beautiful post and great tribute. I walked the grounds of the American Cemetery in Normandy, and it was a humbling experience.
It is – I found Omaha Beach to be even more overwhelming. And Pointe du Hoc.
I have to agree with you about Omaha Beach. Standing on the beach and looking up, imagining the soldiers getting out of their amphibious vehicles and going up under fire, is an absolutely frightening feeling.
I won’t forget! Thank you for this lovely write!
Poignant ending.
Never forget indeed. Though I suspect many already have… SAdly.