Overland Journal – August 01, 2019

OVERLANDJOURNAL FALL 2019

108

After your first caravan, you wrote in an

English paper that one needed to “First

have a dream, then a plan, and if you work

hard enough it will come true, but only you

can make it come true.” Those are pretty

lofty words for a 13-year-old boy. Did you

make this a lifelong credo?

Complex life philosophies elude you when

you are young. You grow into them with ex-

perience, and I had the environment to put

plans in place.

ere is no doubt that this was advice

from Wally Byam. In traveling as his guest,

sitting in the front seat with him, I received

guidance and information.

When Wally graduated from high

school in 1916, he wrote a set of affirmations

that set him on a course for success based

on knowing who he was and what his capa-

bilities were. I did the same thing in 1962

before going into the army. Several years

ago, I looked at them and was surprised at

my follow-through and how they really

did provide a guideline for my life. One of

them rings particularly true: my leisure time

brings happiness and understanding.

Do you remember what it felt like to

meet VIPs as a young man? Were you

too young to care? Señora Pancho Villa,

President Somoza of Nicaragua, and

President Alemán of Mexico are some

pretty big names.

After meeting Haile Selassie, the Emperor

and Lion of Judah, descended from the

Queen of Sheba, the meeting of important

persons became more meaningful to me. In

high school, part of our text covered Haile

Selassie’s appeal to the League of Nations

when Italy invaded and took over Ethio-

pia. To meet and shake his hand was amaz-

ing. For many years, when I shook hands,

I would say that I hadn’t washed my hand

since 1959 when it shook Hailie Selassie’s; I

thought it was important to allow others to

shake the hand that shook the hand.

What are some of your favorite caravan

memories?

During the first caravan in 1951, we spent

time at President Somoza’s sugar plantation

in Nicaragua. He seemed very much a fam-

ily man, and had his grandson with him as

FIRST HAVE A DREAM, THEN A PLAN,

AND IF YOU WORK HARD ENOUGH IT

WILL COME TRUE, BUT ONLY YOU

CAN MAKE IT COME TRUE.