52 Ancestors Week 3: Nickname

From Amy Johnson Crow: Week 3:

The theme for Week 3 is “Nickname.” Nicknames can hint to a person’s personality, occupation, or appearance. But be careful to not always take them literally! (Think of all the burly guys nicknamed “Tiny!”) Sometimes they have an “origin story” – like “Coco,” a classmate of mine. She got the nickname because her little brother couldn’t pronounce her real name (Colleen). Which of your ancestors had a nickname? Do you know how they got it?

Other nicknames might include "Bluestreak".

    Nicknames are a fun part of life and I've had quite a few of them myself. A couple of them ended up being a screenname on various message boards across the Internet. Don't bother looking for them. Those sites are long gone. Though, you might find me as "Cferra" in a few places. Yes, my screenname was my first initial and the first five letters of my last name. I didn't say they were original!  Google it. You won't find anything crazy, I promise. At least screennames can be different from nicknames and back in the day our ancestors had quite a few nicknames that could easily be a screenname on YouTube if YouTube was around.

Epic pipe is epic.

    If you've been reading my blog for a long time, then you'd know how my grandfather Robert Hamel was in the U.S. Air Force for decades.  What you might not know is that he even HE had a nickname given to him by his friends in the service and that name lasted until the day he passed away.

    Sadly, the name wasn't anything like "Maverick" or "Iceman" from the "Top Gun" movies. He didn't even have any of the nicknames from the "Iron Eagle" movies! Nope. His name was.....

The Grey Eagle!

    If that doesn't sound like a superhero from the "Golden Age" of comics, I don't know what does. Maybe if he was wearing a star-spangled outfit or something. I mean....that is a patriotic nickname isn't it? Growing up, I always likened him to "Captain America". But, that's a pretty cool nickname, too. "Grey Eagle" just sounds so awesome when you say it out loud, doesn't it? It's a great nickname and I'm really glad it stuck!

   Right. So, how did my grandfather start soaring through the clouds with that epic name? Well, the best I can figure is that he's had it since his Air Force days. Was his plane grey? I honestly have no idea. It's not like you can tell in black and white photos. I've seen the kinds of planes he flew. Just not the color. And they weren't silver F-15s, either. Bit too early for those screaming eagles, right? And no that wasn't the name of his squadron, either.

    Nicknames are often given to someone by friends or family. No one ever says "Call me "Rocket Man!" and expects that name to stick. Fun fact. That bit from "The Big Bang Theory" about the name "Rocket Man" was actually based on a story the astronauts heard once or twice. No one makes up a nickname for a reason. Only colossal idiots make up their own nicknames. If you do, you get another nickname and trust me it would not be pleasant!

The eagle has landed.

    With that in mind, it's obvious that my grandfather's friends in the Air Force gave him the name "Grey Eagle". I had no idea why. By the time I came around his hair was greying and when I first heard the name I thought it was because of his grey hair.  Hey! Give me a break! I was a kid. I didn't know any better. I don't think I ever told him that. He'd have given me a smirk and shook his head if I did! Even though I was a wiseass I had to pick my moments with surgical precision.

    Naturally, my grandfather told me about the name and how friends in the Air Force gave it to him like I said earlier. I just wish I knew if the plane was grey or not. Maybe it doesn't matter. It's a cool nickname for a very cool person.

    After the Air Force, Grandpa Bob used the name "Grey Eagle" for his own e-mail address. Sometimes he even signed my birthday cards from him as "Grey Eagle". It definitely caught on with friends and family and I don't think I've ever called him that name directly.

    That didn't stop my mother and her siblings, though! Whenever my grandparents visited someone would often text one of the other siblings and say that "The grey eagle has landed!". 

    And that's the story of how my grandfather got the name "Grey Eagle". It's not a terribly long one, I'll admit. Or is it one with an epic backstory. Maybe it doesn't matter. It's a cool name and I'm glad it stuck around till his final days. For some reason it suited him. Sure he had grey hair and everything but he was pretty patriotic. Maybe that's why he took that name and let it stick for so long. Really glad our national bird was the eagle. Benjamin Franklin wanted it to be the turkey.  Not one of your best ideas, Benny. "The Grey Turkey" wouldn't sell nearly as many comics as "The Grey Eagle". 

See ya next time!