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Garry Dunlow on SGT Jack Gell, Birthdays, and Cakes
From Garry Dunlow, who knew Jack Gell as a Soldier: Birthday and Cakes
Today would have been Jack's, (or as I addressed him SGT GELL's) Birthday.
One of the fondest memories I have of Sgt. Gell is sharing a cake. Not a birthday cake but as he told me himself, his very favorite, Pineapple upside down cake.
It was a day I will never forget, the day we departed Ft. Benning for little known place called Viet-nam. We had departed Ft Benning by buses headed for the ships at the Ports Charleston, S.C. I was a RTO assigned to Sgt. Gell's com. group. Having that good fortune I was seated next to Sgt. Gell on the bus. As we travel half an hour or so I couldn't help notice a white box neatly tied up with a string. Well I couldn't hold back any longer, so I just blurted out " Sgt. Gell what's in the box?" Response was "something special made by someone special". (I met that someone 30 some years later) He went on to tell me it was his favorite, pineapple upside-down cake made by his wife. He went on to say he was going to have it after he was settled in on the ship. Well as luck would have it, that's my favorite cake also, and he couldn't wait to get on the ship. He shared that cake with me and a few others until it was all ate.
So whenever I have pineapple upside-down cake I think of Sgt. JACK GELL. KIA NOV.14,1965 at the battle in Ia Drang.
I hope that today his Birthday, GOD shares a pineapple upside-down cake with SGT. GELL.
Garry Dunlow
A 1/7
I hope so, too, Gary. Thank you for your letter, and for your service to our country.
(Please click here to see my entire "Sgt Gell" collection.)
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