Uncle Johnny Makes a Few Bucks

I got cousins out there somewhere in the wild that may or may not know this story. But it has to be told. My Uncle Johnny made a few dollars on my dad. I’m not upset or disappointed. It simply is a fact and there is a story behind it. Let’s drift back to 1958 onboard the US Essex, aircraft carrier, Mediterranean Sea, a time when life was a little simpler and Elvis was in the army.

I have five uncles. Butch was the lucky one. He always won in cards and caught the biggest fish. He had a huge smile and loved life. Uncle Johnny was smart. He knew people well and was very kind. Uncle Norman had the biggest heart ever and a shaky knee. My uncle Raymond challenged authority and loved sports. Finally, my uncle Bill was the youngest and had aspects of all his brothers. He felt more like a cousin than an uncle to me because the age was close. And of course my dad… I could write a book trying to describe him. But instead I have modeled my life around him. He simply is the biggest hero in my life.

So, how did my uncle Johnny make a few bucks off of my dad? It’s 1958 and they are both in the navy. Before we get into this story let me take a step back and give you some history about the Sullivan brothers. It’s kind of important.

There is a movie called “The Fighting Sullivans”.

The lives of a close-knit group of brothers growing up in Iowa during the days of the Great Depression and of World War II and their eventual deaths in action in the Pacific theater are chronicled in a film based on a true story. After the deaths of the five Sullivan brothers, the United States Navy named two ships after them. They were the Fletcher class destroyer, USS The Sullivans (DD-537) and the Arleigh Burke class destroyer, USS The Sullivans (DDG-68). The former was the first American navy vessel ever to be named after more than one person. Each of the two vessels shared the same motto which was the Sullivan brothers’ motto: “We Stick Together.” At the end of the movie, George (the oldest Sullivan brother) was in Sick Bay when the remaining four brothers went to rescue him. In reality, George and Al were the only Sullivan brothers to survive the sinking of USS Juneau. Al drowned the next day and George succumbed 4-5 days later to dementia, when he shed his uniform and swam off in search of his brothers. A lot of people know the story of the USS Indianapolis that sank at the end of World War II. It was the ship where only 316 of the 1,196 crew survived because there was a delay in looking for them. This film tells the story of the USS Juneau, it is not as well-known but its story is terrible as well. Only 10 out of 700 crew survived. This ship is best remembered as the one where the Sullivans died. There has been a change in policy since, where brothers are prohibited from being on the same ship. This film does a wonderful job of bringing the Sullivan saga to life. I can imagine the patriotic impact it had when it was shown at the time. I caught it on an old movie channel and I remember the scene that got me was the one at the end where it made out like they were all ascending to heaven.

My Uncle Butch, Uncle John and my father were the first brothers to ever be on the same ship after the Sullivan’s. I would have thought it to be forbidden, but it is true. So back to my dad losing a few bucks to his brother John.

There was a poker game and all three were there with a few other sailors. The ante in the middle of the table consisted of money and cigarettes, both being considered currency. The conversation moved from port-of-calls and girls to Friday night’s boxing match. Yep, in the basement of the aircraft carrier was a gym and it had a boxing ring. Fridays were known for matches that could get a bit bloody, sailor style. Apparently, Johnny was working out an idea in his head. If he could get one of his brothers into the ring with him they could go a few rounds and make some serious coin. Butch was the first to say, “No way, not interested” So that left my dad. He weighed his options. Money was always tight and it was his brother for heaven’s sake. “I’ll do it” Butch was the big winner at poker that night.

Friday night arrived and most day-working sailors were changing guard with the night ones. Crowds were gathering in the gym around the boxing ring. Rumors of two brothers, the Hemphill brothers to be more precise, were circulating. Money and cigarettes were changing hands faster than you could swab a deck. In the locker room my dad and uncle were preparing for the big match. At first they thought three rounds would work but, now feeling a bit greedy, five rounds would be better. “We’ll just jab around this way and that like we did when we were kids. It’ll be a piece of cake” my uncle said. “Ok, but who’s going to take the dive?” my dad asked. “Butch is going to tell us how the numbers look when we get out there” So it was settled and it was time to climb into the ring. They left the locker room into a loud and raucous scene that had gathered around the ring. They didn’t see Butch.

The bell rang and it began. My dad took a soft swing at Johnny. Johnny brought in a full massive swing and dropped my dad in one punch. I’ve been told that he shared some of his large winnings (cash & cigarettes) with my dad. Brothers!?!

---

To get email notifications when I publish new stories, just enter your email address below, click “Subscribe” and follow the instructions. Then Click Here to make sure you have completed the process.