19. The Heathens on the Lake

In this episode I recall how my family earned the nickname "The Heathens on the Lake." We were the only no practicing Mormons on Salem Lake in Utah Valley, the sanctimonious sanctum sanctorum of Mormon religiosity.

I also discuss my family's surprising reaction to my being gay. Our very religious Mormon grandparents were born in rural Utah in the late 1890s and they were fine with me being gay. My parents were born in the 1920s and they were also fine. My siblings' reactions, however, were and continue to be surprising.

During WWII my dad served in the South Pacific as a tail gunner on a B-17 bomber. His plane was tasked with filming the bombing of Nagasaki at treetop level three minutes after the atomic bomb was dropped. He also took part in the battle of Okinawa and the firebombing of Tokyo. These experiences left an indelible mark on my father.

Upon returning from the war dad befriended a Japanese medical student named Dan Oniki. We were very fortunate to have Dr, Oniki as our family doctor. In my favorite story about my dad, I remember how he helped the Onikis overcome the anti-Japanese sentiment that existed in Utah after the war.

My dad's superpower was having the courage to be a compassionate, kind and gentle man by choice. He could move mountains with the power of his kindness, like a gentle mountain brook cutting a tranquil path through solid stone.