Unbroken, II

Unbroken.

While no movie was produced about Bob Hite’s life, he, and others like him, including my father, remained unbroken. Mr. Hite’s death is noted in the Ark Dem-Gaz this morning with a photo and a nice write-up.

A part of the team dubbed “Doolittle’s Raiders” in WWII, he was in the group of men who flew bombers over Japan/Tokyo. Resulting in miracles for troop morale in the South Pacific, Bob Hite and his fellows brought the war closer to an end.

His son, Wallace (we called him Wally) spoke of the 38 months his dad was held captive, isolated, in a 5x5x9 foot cell.  Had the war not ended and the prisoners liberated, Bob Hite and many other American airmen and soldiers would have been executed. Mr. Hite survived, unbroken.

We Camden kids knew Bob Hite as the dad of one of our classmates. He managed the Hotel Camden during our growing up/early teen years. He was Wally’s dad. He and his wife Portia hosted dance parties for Wally’s classmates at their top-floor hotel suite. Wally’s personality always boosted morale wherever he was. Maybe like father, like son.

Wally gave a speech in 7^th or 8^th grade when he was running for political office – Student Council.  I’ll never forget his opening line, delivered like the orator Mark Antony speaking on the occasion of Julius Caesar’s death, “Friends, Romans, and Countrymen…” Wally said with the same grandeur, “A students, B students, C students, D students, and Friends!”  He got my vote!

The men who raised us, Our Fathers’ Generation, are forever cemented in our memories, their standards for us, lofty; we remain eternally grateful.