Lessons from My 98-year-old Dad: Finish Strong

by Marilynn Chadwick

“Honor your father and mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.”

Exodus 20:12 NIV

Dad encourages me to finish my own race strong. Live a life of sacrifice and honor. Give yourself for the larger good. Put others before yourself. Don’t give up. Family is worth it. Hold onto your faith. No matter what comes your way, persevere. And always do the right thing. These are some of the messages Dad continues to teach me, even at 98.

Dad has always believed in dreaming big. He encouraged our dreams. Through the years, nothing brought him more joy than to watch his children, grandchildren, and now great-grandchildren shine.

But the last chapter of his life with Mom was hard. Doing the right thing, day after day, required endurance, faith, and sometimes a good sense of humor. I watched their courageous battle, and I agree with whoever said, “Old age is not for sissies.” I watched my mom’s quiet and uncomplaining spirit even when she was in pain. And I saw Daddy’s cheerful attitude as he persevered day after day. “How did you do it, Dad?” I asked him. “He just shrugged his shoulders and said matter of factly, “Your mom was worth it.” Their life together captures the meaning of the word honor: “To treat someone as though they have great worth.”

Honor by its very nature is strong, solid, and above all, enduring. Toward the end of Mom’s life, she and Dad had an especially difficult morning which had stretched Daddy to practically the end of his strength. Later that day, Daddy quietly beamed as he told me about how Mom had looked at him intently and then spoke these words with perfect clarity: “You are so patient. I am so proud of you.”

Just a few simple words from his wife who didn’t talk so much anymore. And yet Daddy wore those words like they were a medal of honor. And if you think about it, I guess that’s truly what they were.

Dad is truly a man of honor. Honor is a concept so simple even a child can grasp it. “Honor your father and your mother” (Exodus 20:12). God set the bar low so that even the youngest and weakest among us can practice honor. But God has also set the bar high. People defend freedom, fight, and die for honor. Believers around the world honor Jesus by suffering for their faith.

That same honor inspires husbands and wives to love each other for a lifetime. It safeguards our families. In good times and in hard ones. Honor guards our marriages and sets them on solid ground. No wonder it’s so important in our homes.

God has set before us the most noble and enduring way to live together. My dad stands as a testimony that if we treat others with honor—especially those in our own family—we too can finish strong. Looking back over my life, I can see how Mom and Dad’s values quietly shaped my own.

Dad and I believe it’s important to write down these stories for future generations. Plus, it has been rewarding to spend time together recalling the values which influenced our home. I hope you’ll take time to think about your own life. What values do you hold dear? What stories of God’s protection, provision, and providence, do you want others to remember?

Today’s Moment of Hope is adapted from Eight Great Ways to Honor Your Husband by Marilynn Chadwick. Click here to download your free copy.

Lessons from My 98-year-old Dad: How I Ended Up on a Submarine, Part 2

by Harper Brame as told to Marilynn Chadwick

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart.”

Col 3:3a NIV

…Continued from Wednesday…

After I graduated from boot camp, my superiors discussed my next steps. They asked if I would volunteer for submarine school. “No sir,” I told the officer. “I don’t want any part of that.” I had wanted to go to the Hospital Corps school, the U.S. Navy training facility that taught recruits medical skills for battlefield and shipboard service. At the last minute, it turns out we were not needed.

So we were put on a S-Draft and sent on the Troop Train across the country. We were headed to Pearl Harbor for our assignment. I got assigned to the Submarine Tender, the Bushnell, a vital support ship in the war for submarines in the Pacific. It served as a floating submarine base, refitting subs at Pearl Harbor. The Bushnell was home base for the subs—like an airport for planes. I guess you could say we were the Mother Ship.

My shop classes in high school came handy because I got in the carpentry shop aboard the Bushnell. I was in line to "strike" for a position. This meant a new sailor could seek on-the-job training in a specialized field. A sailor could learn one of many highly skilled trades needed to repair and maintain submarines. For a sailor, striking a skilled rating was a significant advancement, moving us from general grunt work to a respected and specialized role. For the Navy, using submarine tenders as training platforms was a critical strategy, allowing them to quickly train us.

One day, they asked for volunteers to learn how to weld. That sounded like a good place for me to start. After four days on welding duty, over the loudspeaker I heard, “Brame report to personnel office.” Now I was worried. I had gone to the movie theater on the base a few nights earlier. My friend was on deck watch. I asked him if I could sneak over and watch a movie. “Sure,” he said. “Everybody does it.”

I was sure I was in trouble. When I reported to the personnel office, the Chief Officer said, “Brame, do you still want to get on a submarine?” I said, “No sir, I never did.” I guess I should tell you that about two weeks earlier—on a whim—I had taken the physical and mental tests for sub duty. It was open to volunteers. I was more curious than serious. And taking the tests sounded a whole lot better than cleaning the carpenter shop for the upcoming Admiral’s inspection!

The Chief Officer in the personnel office had become a good friend of mine. He had been on submarine duty since the early 1930s, but he was too old now to serve on the sub. He looked at me and said, “Harper, if you don’t take this opportunity to get on a submarine, I’m going to make your life so miserable, you will always wish you did.”

So out of fear alone I went into submarine service. And that was the best thing that happened to me in the navy.

To watch several short videos of Harper Brame sharing his stories, click here to view “Witness to War”

Lessons from My 98-year-old Dad: How I Ended Up on a Submarine, Part 1

by Harper Brame as told to Marilynn Chadwick

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Romans 8:28 NIV

So how on earth did I end up working on a submarine? Well, it was definitely not my original plan. The war was wrapping up after Japan was bombed, but the military draft continued because there were still many dangers all over the world, especially in the Pacific.

My father was with the Army Corps of Engineers, so our family moved around a lot. I was nearing the end of my senior year. I had attended five high schools in four years. I played basketball and baseball at every high school I attended. At my last school, I realized I was too small for football, so I joined the tumbling team and marching band. I took just seven lessons on the trombone and learned how to march. My short time in the marching band turned out to be one of the best things that happened for my navy career.

My draft number was really low, and I knew I would be called up. So I enlisted in the Navy, just under the wire of what was still considered World War II. We would have headed for Japan except the Bomb hit and Japan surrendered soon after on September 2, 1945.

I was off to Navy Boot Camp. The US Navy Training Center in Bainbridge, Maryland trained hundreds of thousands of navy recruits during the war and prepared them for service on land and sea.

But I had been prepared for military life in other ways I couldn’t have foreseen. Right off the bat, it turned out I had better training from my time in the marching band than we got in bootcamp. Since I already knew how to march, I didn’t get fussed at and didn’t get awakened at 3am to go out and learn how to march. The second-class petty officer in charge appreciated my marching ability and put me in a leading position. Plus, since my dad’s work kept him away, I had learned how to help my parents and be the man of the house. I was given lots of responsibility and had even learned how to clean well. That, too, would come in handy.

Inspections were a big deal in boot camp. I knew how to keep my room clean and had learned how to clean up our houses after moving from place to place. So, the officer put me in charge of inspection—especially the bathrooms. Our inspection went with flying colors. I graduated from Boot Camp and received a plaque as the honor man for my entire company.

Knowing how to march and clean helped move me ahead. I found out early that if you just do what you’re told, it sure was easier than doing what you’re not told. For one thing, I got to sleep all night.

After graduation from boot camp, they had a big parade with people from the community and all four companies. We had one honor man from each of the four companies, and I was our honor man. We received our honors alongside those who had just returned from war. Now, we awaited our orders.

To be continued tomorrow…

To watch several short videos of Harper Brame sharing his stories, click here to view “Witness to War”