uniform – Nancy Tart: Writing for Life

Lucas, the Junior Cadet Member!

September 3, 2022 (Timewarp story from August 15, 2022)

Lucas was bouncing all over the house. “Mom! I repeated my oath!” “Mom! I went with Daddy to his meeting!” “Mom! I am part of Daddy’s meeting people now!” “I’m a cadet, look at my uniform!” “I get to go to the boom place with real cannons that blow up!”

And that was in the first three seconds after the door opened!

Anyone who knows Lucas knows that since he could talk he was excited about stuff. Anything he’s excited about, everyone else will know about within seconds. From “BIG TRUCKS” to dressing up in Daddy’s shoes to baby-surfing and everything in between; Lucas does everything with a full engagement and excitement that makes me smile.

Lucas became a cadet member of the SCV (Sons of Confederate Veterans) – Louis went on this discovery of our ancestors after getting Ancestry.com a couple years back and traced my father’s family back to Quakers in England who settled in Pennsylvania and refused on religious grounds to fight in any conflict until my Grandfather Pearson served the military as a baker and my Daddy joined the Air Force in the Vietnam War. Louis’ family, on the other hand, goes back to serious stakeholders in Florida culture and to Pvt. Gadiart W. Tart of Company D, 25^th Division in the Florida military when it was under confederate leadership.

Lucas is super excited! Part of his “meetings with Dad” have been visiting battle sites, learning history, watching reenactments, and soon, (which Lucas is SUPER excited about) taking part in a reenactment – Lucas doesn’t know when, but “soon!” as he tells me. His idea of “taking part” is probably about the same as he and Landon “took part” in the last gymnastics meet they were both at: having a friendly hour-long wrestling match while their sister and cousins, respectively, competed. He does have a snappy uniform!

I’m looking forward to hearing all of the history he learns (even the girls remember the story of “the Flags of Florida” live presentation they saw at a family meeting where two ladies did a skit of two women following Florida’s return to the Union and they discussed each different flag that had flown over their land). I’m looking forward to the father-son excursions they will go on.

Meanwhile, he keeps coming in to our room to point out his paper that shows he’s a cadet member. (This sits right over Louis’ paper) So the usual comment is “see, I’m just like Dad!” and that, is what really makes me smile!

Thank you for reading.

Type at you later,

~Nancy Tart

July 12, 2018

My Civil Air Patrol Cadet

One day Louis was driving past the Saint Augustine Civil Air Patrol building and saw cadets marching around in uniform. He stopped, asked them what they were, and raced home to tell Christina that he found the perfect activity for her.

She is my flying nut. She loves planes. Just like Lucas loves anything with wheels – she loves anything that flies (except mosquitoes and no-see-ums). Better said; Christina loves anything mechanical that flies.

She’d studied famous flying people, physics, beat her way through math, and taken a helicopter tour for her birthday. She’d talked with pilots as Louis shuttled them to the airport from their hotels.

She had the time of her life when some friends took her to the Jacksonville Air Show! (Photo credit above & below – Hannah Clark & crew)

The poster from that day was the first one tacked to her wall.

So, she “visited” the CAP meetings with Louis for three weeks – but Wednesday morning after her first meeting, she was like, “Mom, I’m going to join Civil Air Patrol.” Of course, Christina’s decisions are never small – “I’m going to get to officer rank and they have all these things I can learn so I can get into programs to help me learn to fly…” and she continued talking me through the book and information someone had given her.

She is a scrimping saver and refused any help with CAP dues, fees, or for her first uniform. (This is a point of pride for her – to be able to cover all her own expenses. She saw God’s love in action, though, when she thought she wouldn’t be able to go to winter encampment but our amazing church family gave her enough money for the trip and the extra items needed!)

CAP gave her a grant to go toward buying her first blues uniform though – something about earning a certain rank. (These are my borrowed shoes for her first day wearing blues. Her real ones have a one inch heel and no decoration.)

Lucas loves Christina’s uniform – especially the caps (aka, covers).

Thanks to CAP, Christina has matured greatly in social interaction (you can order younger siblings around all day, but it is different ordering someone else around!). She is more confident, more physically active, emotionally and physically stronger, and enjoying the company of respectful, goal-driven, encouraging fellow cadets.

Our family has learned some new terms: water is hydration, anything not a uniform is civies, a funny backpack with a water bag inside and a fishtank-hose looking straw hanging around the cadet’s neck is a camelback, among others.

We’ve swelled with pride watching our cadet march in parades (even if we only get a picture of her back half hidden behind another cadet)…

…assist veterans in her blues…

…and attend encampment as a student…

…and staff.

She’s constantly challenging herself to new higher limits – one day, I’m sure, she’ll touch the sky!

Thanks for reading!

Type at you next time…

~Nancy Tart

Tag: uniform

Lucas, the Junior Cadet Member!

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