"As many of us gathered with friends and
family to celebrate Memorial Day in remembrance of the fallen men and women of
the armed forces who fought for this country, let us not forget to give thanks
and appreciation to those who are still with us. WWII Navy Veteran Couple, Raymond, 95 and
Dorothy McDuff, 94 sat down with me to share their life experiences serving in
the military, their love for the Jacksonville Public Library (JPL), and what
keeps their relationship so strong after all these years.
"Raymond enlisted in the Navy at the age of
16, graduated from boot camp in Farragut, Idaho. He then chose the job of Fire
Controlman but later changed career paths to become an instructor. Mr. McDuff served
from sea to shore at various duty stations throughout the world, including
Australia, San Francisco, CA, Seattle, WA, and Pearl Harbor, Hi in
support of WWII operations. A Macon, GA native, Dorothy joined the Navy at 17 years
old, and trained in boot camp out of New York as Yeoman (Executive
Administrative Assistant), and continued to serve in Oklahoma, completing her
enlistment at a Naval hospital in Bethesda, MD.
"This active couple has been frequent
customers of the Regency Square Branch Library for many years, where they
regularly take advantage of the resources available to continue their never-ending
journey of learning. Mr. McDuff joyfully responds to my question regarding his
favorite thing about JPL, 'They have first class service and they all do great
job, and so do you ma’am…every time I go to look for an author, I get help
right up front…I got no complaints,' Raymond also tells me of memories of simpler
times, as a teenager back in Iowa, where
he’s originally from, of walking 1½
miles, each way, going to the library. 'You could get books on Monday, Wednesday and Friday…3 books is all you
could get', noted Raymond. When asked
what their favorite book was, without hesitation, Dorothy replied, 'The
Bible'...'Oh yes!”' echos Raymond. They both agree that it is the teachings found in this book and love
that keeps them connected with one another. 'Love
covers all. How can I ask God to forgive me of something, if I haven’t forgiven
my fellow man? And all this black/white [referring to racial issues in
society] stuff; let me tell you something, there wouldn’t be all these problems
if we all just talk it out. You got to talk it out.” Mr. McDuff adds this Rx pertaining to their secret to living a
great life, 'We don’t drink, smoke, complain or
argue… I love that woman…it’s a privilege to have this lady and I enjoy taking
care of her. She’s very intelligent and has a lot of common sense…. We have a really
first class relationship.' Dorothy concludes, 'There was
something about him that drew me to him.' 
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