My story this time started with me writing about Rexford’s letter about the American Legion in 1919 as a Thursday’s theme. It went smoothly but before I even ended the story an image of Duke came forward which I find it intriguing.
In my mind’s eye he was wearing his swimsuit and gently moved forward, and when he appeared I was almost at the very end of finishing Rexford letter.
What is the connection of Rexford and Duke, I questioned at first, and I come to realized nothing, but I am leaning more toward that year 1919, so I started researching deeper and here are few things I came across.
In 1919 was a pivotal transition years marked by health battled when he encountered the Spanish Influenza from traveling to 30 mainland U.S. cities for Red Cross swimming. I know that he did that to collect bonds for the war effort. If he was not discovered by a friend inside a YMCA in Washington D.C., which he got admitted to the hospital, he probably lost his life. He lost 20 lbs, and he even mentioned, based on the articles I read on his way back to Hawaii, he regret by then the war was over, because his planned was to get enlisted through the Navy.
That was the year too when his close friend George Freeth died from the same influenza. Freeth was a very important person to Duke because he acted as Duke’s mentor, swimming coach who trained Duke first in Hawaii and later on at the Los Angeles Athletic Club, which I actually have a vintage magazine picture together. George Freeth was already a renowned waterman in Hawaii before moving to Southern California in 1907.
In the pages of a magazine both arms were on each other’s shoulder and in their swimsuit smiling for the camera. This image came from a purchased I made online.
That was also the year he started training again, regaining his physical strength in the ocean for the 1920 Antwerp Olympics, which once again he was the gold medal champion.
From losing that 20 lbs at the hospital bed to gold in Antwerp tells me the power and resistance of people in general, and the body strength, the willingness to heal and rebuild again is wonderful.
Among the events that transpired for Duke in 1919, the most poignant for me is his experience with the Spanish flu. Had he not been discovered, he likely would have succumbed to the illness. However, fate intervened, allowing him to be found, and suddenly, I am reminded of Sade’s song, KISS OF LIFE, and in that song there is that part where she said …there Must Be an Angel by my side. (This song resonates with me as this is the song I dedicated to him).
I am convinced that its emergence in my thoughts signifies his message to me: “There must be an angel by my side.” This sentiment encapsulates the notion that it was this angelic presence that contributed to his survival during the 1919 pandemic.
When it is time to write about, I usually will talk in the air and will say show me something on what to write about you Duke? There is no specific place or time when I talk so wherever I happen to be. It never failed as usually I stumbled something that can be about him or related to him.
The practice of good intention can manifest faster and stronger when the mind is open. I been working on this type of spiritual workout for many years now.
For example, on my partner and I about to cross the street from our night walk, our next door neighbor was on their driveway. Usually when they are outside I always take a minute not just to say ‘how are you guys doing’ but this time they brought their dog outside and that tied us up with talking with them for five minutes.
Then the lady went inside and when she came out she was holding something and hand it over to me. I was very surprised and when I looked at it, it was a long sleeve sweater with the pocket in the front that said “Duke’s Waikiki”. I goes oh you did found it. It was her husband medium size sweater that’s been in their closets many years ago and it was forgotten. They only remembered it because I happened to talked to her husband five months ago about Hawaii and mentioned about Duke. He said that time, oh we went to Hawaii many years ago, heard story about the Duke and he bought a sweater and if they find it they will give it to me. With gratitude I said thank you and I hug her.
I had said before I ended Rexford’s letter I promised he is going to appear somewhere on Duke’s letter which is true.
As I am about to end this story I am going to closed it with what I wrote on Rexford ending as well and it goes like this… experienced like this never happened except now, one story sharing by two real people in their time, shared the same space.
How neat is that and I love it and respect are both given.
