The "A Failure, TWICE" Story

It was an ordinary day.  A few days ago I posted a story about having lunch at the Sugar Bowl at Millersville State Teacher's College after reading a feature story about the restaurant in the latest Millersville "review".  Well, another story in the "review" also caught my attention, but in an entirely different manner that the lunchtime hangout did.  It was part of a feature story titled "Millersville's Veterans" in which several former Millersville students and teachers who were in the military told the stories of their harrowing years while serving in the United States military.  

My college chemistry teacher,
Dr.William McIlwaine

One of the teachers interviewed was Dr. William McIlwaine who was my chemistry teacher at the college.  TWICE!  Chemistry and LDub didn't go together.  Just glad I didn't need chemistry to graduate or I would probably be a retired harmonica player now instead of a retired teacher.  Not that there is anything wrong with being a retired harmonica player, mind you.  I had Dr. McIlwaine during my very first semester at college in 1962.  He was an intimidating force in my life and even thought I knew I could pass the course, this tall, thin, gangly professor who wore black rimmed glasses frightened me into a failing grade.  TWICE!  If it hadn't been for chemistry My GPA would have been outstanding, but failing the same class TWICE in my first two years was disastrous.  Almost put me on probation but my writing skills prevailed in English 101 and I succeeded without chemistry.  Dr. McIlwaine, who is 90 years old now, told of his time in the frozen hell that was known as the Battle of the Bulge when he was a member of the Army's 80th Infantry Division.  He told how it was so cold that the U.S. tanks would freeze to the ground.  On the night before Christmas in 1944 the German's almost got to them.  He remembered being part of the 80th that liberated Ebensee in Austria in May or 1945.  Ebensee was a labor camp where the Nazi regime worked thousands to death in order to provide slave labor to build storage tunnels for armaments.  He also told of some of the atrocities that occurred during the end of the war.  He had many kind words for General Patton as he got to see the spiritual side of the general when he asked the Army chaplains to make a prayer that would grant fair weather for battle.  This prayer has been known as "Patton's Prayer" and allowed the skies to clear so that the U.S. could get their air power in to help win the war.  At the time Patton had doubts of the U.S. chances, but we succeeded.  Dr. McIlwaine mentioned how he remembered the doubts that Patton had and advised his young college students, myself included, "don't be afraid to fail" in shaping one's life.  Wow, I really did listen to his advice after all.  TWICE!  After two tries the college allowed me to take a class two years later in bowling to fulfill my science requirement.  I couldn't mix stuff in a beaker, but I could knock things over on a lane.   Funny, but I still remember quite a bit of the Periodic Table of the Elements.  Thanks, Dr. Mac.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.