Ride of the Valkyries

Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries. What images come to mind when you here that piece of classical music? For many, no doubt, imagery of Robert Duvall commanding a fleet of helicopters attacking a Vietnamese village in the 1979 classic, Apocalypse, Now! is evoked. It does to me, as well. However, that is not the only image that comes into my mind. When hearing that music, I am reminded of a summer day of sailing on Lake Murray.

Captain in Training

The year may have been the same as the release of Apocalypse, Now!, if not it was very close. As noted in my third blog (The Son of a Son-in-Law of a Sailor), I grew up sailing on Lake Murray with my Pop at the Columbia Sailing Club. I believe I spent more time sailing with Pop than my siblings, largely because I was the youngest and they were frequently busy doing teenage/young adult activities while my social schedule was largely free (being 4-8 years younger than each of them) whenever sailing opportunities arose. Those days at the Columbia Sailing Club created a multitude of wonderful memories for me. One such weekend day in the late 1970s or early 1980s, Pop and I headed to the lake for a day of sailing and it turned out to be particularly memorable.

Pop and I sailing aboard Antara, probably a little later than when this story occured

After driving up to the sailing club from our home in Orangeburg, we loaded Antara , our Helms 25, with groceries and gear for the day, as was our routine. We cast off and departed the back cove of the Columbia Saiing Club and made our way away from the club and toward the Jim Spence Islands. It was a beautiful summer day with a nice breeze, which was not always the case that time of year.

Somewhere past the Pine Island and the Jim Spence Islands, we noticed another sailboat. As the time progressed, the boat came nearer and nearer. Eventually, I saw a rowdy crew of...wait for it...Vikings! The sailboat was larger and faster than ours and was clearly going to overtake us. I was sitting on the coach roof of Antara in awe of the unfolding scene, while my dad was grinning and called out, "Hi, Stewart". Apparently it was Stewart Mungo aboard his sailing vessel, Valkerie. He was a fellow club member that Pop knew. The captain and crew were wearing Viking helmets and costumes and had even affixed a cardboard bowsprit to the bow of Valkyrie. As they were overtaking us, Mr. Stewart Mungo called to me to stand ready at our shroud lines as he had a gift for me. They sailed up beside us within a foot or so and he passed me a foil covered cardboard sword and a plastic Viking helmet. What a treasure for a nine or ten year old boy!! And what a delivery! That was around forty-five years ago and I still remember it. My day of surpise was not over. Later that afternoon when we were back at the docks in the back cove of the sailing club, Mr. Mungo called me over and gave me one of the t-shirts he had had made for his annual Viking party. It was a white ringer tee with green graphics of a cartoonish group of Vikings. I kept the t-shirt and the helmet for years, utilizing them for a costume for my remaining Halloweens.

Every time I think of this adventure, I'm reminded how powerful kind actions are. Kindness is never wasted on kids. Kids remember. Thanks Mr. Mungo!