Francis W. Alexander

Ohio Veteran's Home

"Do you know what these are?" Uncle Billy, his askance look accented by squinting eyes, points to the insignia on his submariner's cap. It's been years since I've heard the explanation, if ever.

"They look," I say, "like fish enclosing a submarine."

"Dolphins aren't fish," he says. That's Uncle Bill, still feeling the need to teach me something.

"Whenever sailors were stranded at sea," he continued, "perhaps after their ship had sunk and they clung desperately to the floating debris, the dolphins would come and nudge them towards land. You heard the expression of dog being man's best friend? Well, the dolphin is the sailor's best friend."

on the menu
in the huge mess hall
crappy and catfish