Good Morning.

Got something rather personal today.


Somewhere around 68 years ago, three Boston musicians were in New York City for a recording session. One of the results was the following tune, which became a minor hit in Boston.



The Storm Trio consists of Bob Tyler (piano), Fran Tyler (drums and vocal) and...David Matayabas (bass).

They seemed on the verge of a breakthrough, but then Uncle Sam came calling. My father was drafted into the US Army, and went away to Fort Dix for basic training.

He tells me to this day that his service was somewhat laughable. As soon as the C.O. discovered that my father was a decent musician, he was drafted yet again - as the bass player in the Officer's Club band.

My father's service was all too brief. In 1957, he was diagnosed with diabetes, and received an honourable discharge on medical grounds. He returned to Boston, but by then the Storms' opportunity had passed them by, and the band went off in different directions.

Incredibly, they are all still alive today. Bob and Fran are still married, and are both around 90 years of age like my father. Bob is in reasonably good health, but Frannie has some dementia now...but I saw her the other day, and she told me "I know it, but at my age, I don't really care". Seems like a good attitude to have in those sunset years.

In any case - you know Papa TriSec's saga. He's finally settling down, and is learning a new life at Waltham Crossings. Today I hooked him up with a hearing evaluation, and in a surprise to nobody, he's deaf as a post. He will need hearing aids, but of course our wonderful for-profit insurance industry won't pay for them.

However - the V.A. will. Despite being discharged in 1957, he's still entitled to all those veteran's benefits that he has never used. Incredibly, I have in my possession his discharge papers from long ago, and they are in astonishingly good condition.

Even better than that, the first person I met in Waltham, my oldest friend in this city, is very highly placed in the regional VFW administration, and she is actually the veteran's service liaison at Waltham Crossings. So...we'll be documenting a new journey here at AAV. Our own story.

Stay tuned.