He died in June of 2017, at the age of ninety-five. His funeral was attended by his large family, friends, and his adoring fans, of which he had many. His name was Art Daniels, but those who knew and loved him called him, "Daddy Art." 

​Daddy Art spent his life on the water as an oysterman and crabber but he is best known for his participation in the annual Skipjack races that take place on his tiny island. Until his illness, he never missed a race in over 50 years. To his credit, he won 9 races and placed in many more.

​I was privileged to ride along on his Skipjack during races on several occasions for the purpose of taking photos. He called me his, "Georgia Peach,"  and though dozens of members of the press and photographers, as well as accomplished 'hobby' sailors, begged to be onboard  his boat during the annual races, he never declined me a seat. 

​His boat was a patchwork of bits and pieces of wood and was long overdue for a new coat of paint. One marina owner told me Daddy Art would fish out pieces of wood he would see floating in the water and save them for his, "boat patching."

When I first met him at his dock he beckoned me to follow him down a rickety plank that had so many missing and rotten boards, I had to tiptoe around them while he floated over them like a ballet dancer, taking amusement in my landlubber status.

​I was always humbled in Daddy Art's presence. He was legendary long before I met him. Now that he's gone, I know his legend will live on for generations to come, not only on his island but spread around the world by the many people who met and loved him.

​I was never one for favoring any one photo. I have met and photographed many famous people, and the only photo I have separated from any of my newspaper assignments is the one of Daddy Art holding a photo of his younger self. I gave him a copy and he signed my copy, which I proudly had framed and still display today.

​Daddy Art lived such a good life there is no doubt he is happily sailing again in heaven, and hopefully, he has been furnished with a brand new Skipjack, although if I think about it, that would never do. I'm sure he has requested and received an exact replica of his old boat. 

​Happy sailing, Daddy Art. Be sure and save a seat for me. I'm not planning on coming anytime soon, but I know you will remember your Georgia Peach when she arrives.

​

Fall is a great time of year to bring your cameras out of the closet. Put down your camera phones and have a little fun with color. Since retiring, I have been lazy in using my cameras in the summer months. Too hot to carry around a lot of gear when my iPhone can capture a moment, which is about all I can say for them. Don't get me wrong. I use my camera phone all the time these days but they can never match a good digital and never come close to a good photo taken with a manual camera.

I will always be of the belief that no digital camera can capture a photo like a manual camera, and nothing can replace the actual darkroom work of a professional. Darkroom work, to me, was a chance to play and paint with light; it was my favorite thing about photography. Now, I pop a photo in Adobe Photo and Done! 

​So if you have a "real" camera, dust it off and play with the fun colors of fall. And if you don't have a digital or manual sitting around, let your eyes be the judge of a good light and use your camera phone.

This post may be obsolete in a few years because camera phones are going to get better but us old-timers will still insist that a negative from a manual camera, developed and printed in a dark room by the artist will always be superior to any machine.

​Tip: Always shoot with the sun behind you. Look for a good blue sky. Puffy white clouds make for a good accent.

It seems everyone has been watching Ken Burns 'Vietnam War,' a stunning look at the war so many try to forget. Forget, we must never do. And we must never forget the brave souls who put their lives on the line in any war. The Vietnam War is a war that tore America apart. No series can ever repair that but it can aid in the healing, which is a life-long process for combat veterans.

Aurence keeps in touch with some Marines who served with him in combat. From time to time, others pop in and out of our lives. Brave souls, all. Keeping in touch is sometimes hard, even in this day and age, and though many veterans can remember nick-names (everyone had them in Vietnam) it is sometimes hard to recall a first name. If you served with the MAG 16 at Marble Mt or Dong Ha 66-67 Aurence, who served as air crew doorgunner, would love to hear from you.

​We pulled Aurence's Book of Records, a military book-of-sorts that lists your every step  from your induction to the day you received your discharge papers, an interesting read. It also lists all of your "official" combat missions by dates.. If you don't have your DD214, it is also included. Some veterans have lost their DD214's and/or misplaced their medals. Your DD214 lists your medals and the government will make a one-time life replacement.




​Above is a list of Aurence's medals. Aurence flew in many combat missions and his Book of Records list them all. He received the Combat Action Ribbon and Combat Aircrew Insignia with 3*s. So proud of my man.

I encourage all to write the military personnel office and request your BOR. I can't
​emphasize enough how important it is to get and preserve your records and medals for your children. Aurence will be proud to pass his on to our son and grandson.

Veterans can write to:

​NPRC Mailing Address:
National Personnel Records Center
Military Personnel Records
1 Archives Drive
St. Louis, MO 63138

​Be sure and include your service # (or social security number if you can't remember), birth-date, birth state, full name, what branch you served in, dates your served, and any other information that can help them identify you. Rather than take a chance at getting a letter requesting more info, give them whatever you think they might need to identify you. And do not forget to sign the letter of request. 

Oh, and be sure to state that you want not only your DD214 and replacement medals as well as your Book of Records, along with medical records. Remember, they will only replace your medals once, so put them in safe keeping.

​At one point we were helping veterans who wanted their service records and duplicate medals. I remember it took anywhere from 3 to 8 weeks, sometimes longer, before they received their packets. Be patient, but don't forget to do it. Your children will be glad you did.