An interview with Lt. Col. Clifton Earl Ward (Retd).
I picked up Cliff at his home in South Tampa for our lunch date. As he gathered his belongings, my eyes surveyed the cluttered room with food cans strewn across an old table. There were books, magazines, and old newspapers everywhere. Artifacts of a life well lived were part of the overcrowded ambiance. Looking at me from a portrait on the wall was a handsome officer, in uniform, with piercing eyes. “That was me a long time ago,” Cliff remarked. All that was now left was an old, frail, 93 year old American Hero, forgotten by the very country that he served for decades. I helped him into my car, found a quiet table in a fancy restaurant, but he was not impressed by his surroundings, or the food. He balked at the prices and shook his head in disbelief.
Born in 1922, Cliff grew up on a tobacco farm in Williamston NC. He toiled with his Dad sunrise to sunset and grew up with very little. He joined the US Air Force in 1942, because he always wanted to fly – a passion that burned inside him when he saw the C-47’s and DC-3’s flying over the farm. He flew single engine fighter aircrafts during World War II in India and Burma. It did not bother him when people on the ground died, as he was only doing his job. In 1945, after the war ended, he joined the reserves. He was recalled to active duty during the Korean War and eventually got stationed at MacDill Air Force base. He finally finished a distinguished career after 29 years of service.
He married his sweetheart, Frances, who gave him two beautiful children and passed away after 64 years together. His eyes clouded up with tears as he spoke of her fondly, “it’s something you never get over,” he said as his voice quivered. “She was a good mom, and a good girl,” he said, with a distant look. I just held his hand and found myself blinking back my own tears. It is sad how the pain of deep loss never goes away. More so for Cliff, as he had lost all he had.
He picked at his food aimlessly, barely eating a bite. I looked at this 93-year-old man who had been abandoned by the system, and for the most part, by his own family. “I don’t think I would ever take my own life,” he said, “even though I have nothing to live for.” It was surreal as the realization struck me that he had contemplated that outcome. “I am a mean SOB, with a tender heart,” he told me. His tender heart was still there. I knew the mean SOB was lurking below the surface. “Life can be cruel or nice. Depends what you make of it.” His parting piece of advice – “Just be yourself.”
I got his food packed, got him an extra snack for dinner, and drove him home. I walked him to his front door and gave him an awkward hug. I check on Cliff from time to time to make sure he is doing well. This sweet old man touched my life. I just wish we could collectively do more for this American Hero.
Insights: 10 Questions
- What drives you?
Be somebody. Do it right. - If you had to go to the moon and take a single piece of music with you what would you take and why?
Bing Crosby - If you were a cocktail, how would you describe yourself?
Dad was an alcoholic, so I never touched a drop - Who in the world would you most like to sit down and have a drink with — living or dead?
My Frances (wife) – That’s a no brainer. - Single piece of advice to young people?
Be yourself. - Who’s career do you envy and why?
I did what I wanted to do. FLY……. - When you were 16-years-old, what did you most often get in trouble for?
Nothing. I was a good honest boy who worked hard. - If there were one word to describe your family life growing up as a child, what would it be?
Trying – no surplus of anything. - What is the most important thing you remember about your first love?
NOW THAT’S ONE TIME I WAS NOT A VERY GOOD BOY!! - What would you like your legacy to be?
A person of my word. I really don’t care.
About Hemant Rustogi