Redlands Native Earns Air Force Honors

May 5, 2008

To: Editor, Redlands Daily Facts

Good morning,

I sent a message in February about my son Christopher being named by the Air Force as Airman of the Quarter for the fourth quarter 2007 and was disappointed you didn't run it. I hope you'll consider sharing with the community his most recent award (below). I have attached a photo.

Christopher (Chris) Davidson was named Enlisted Airman Space Systems Operator of the Year for 2007 for the Air Force Space Command, it was announced Monday, May 5, by Colonel Clinton E. Crosier, commander, USAF 50th Operations Group.

Davidson is a senior airman working as a member of the 3rd Space Operations Group at Schriever AFB in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Previously, he was named Airman of the Quarter for the fourth quarter 2007 for the 3rd Space Operations Group, the 50th Operations Group, the 50th Space Wing and Team Schriever at Schriever Air Force Base. Davidson was also named to the High Frontier Honor Guard earlier this year, which represents the President of the U.S. at community events and Air Force ceremonies, including funeral services for women and men who served in the Air Force.

The son of Don and Deena Davidson of Redlands, he is a 1998 graduate of Redlands High School and studied astrophysics at U.C. Berkeley after graduation.

Regards,
Don

Don Davidson
Redlands

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February 14, 2008

To: Editor, Redlands Daily Facts

I don't know if you intend to run this story, which I sent last week, but Christopher learned today he has been honored with yet another level of recognition: Airman of the Quarter for the fourth quarter 2007 for the 14th Air Force, which comprises the five bases that make up the Strategic Space Command.

Regards,
Don Davidson

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February 6, 2008

To: Editor, Redlands Daily Facts

Good morning,

I'm pleased to share with you that my son, Christopher Davidson, recently earned the following honors:

He was named Airman of the Quarter for the fourth quarter 2007 for the 3rd Space Operations Group, the 50th Operations Group, the 50th Space Wing and Team Schriever at Schriever Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

He was also named to the High Frontier Honor Guard, which represents the President of the U.S. at community events and Air Force ceremonies, including funeral services for women and men who served in the Air Force.

Christopher is a 1998 graduate of Redlands High School and is an Airman First Class working in space (satellite) operations at Schriever AFB. He is the son of Don and Deena Davidson of Redlands.

I have attached a recent photo.

Regards,
Don

Don Davidson
Redlands

Farewell, Smokey

I said good-bye to our cat Smokey yesterday. About a week ago, we noticed he had gained a lot of weight and filled out around the middle. After a couple of days, he became lethargic and wasn't eating. X-rays showed his body was swollen with fluid and blood tests indicated he had feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), which was fatal. We could tell he was feeling worse with each passing day and decided that euthanasia was the humane thing to do -- before he was in pain and suffering.

While I knew it was the best thing for my good feline friend, it was nonetheless very hard to accept. Two days before we took him in to be put down, I felt terrible all day, both physically and emotionally. I awoke in the middle of the night and thought about him, knowing he was feeling poorly as he perched on the cushion on the lounge chair on our back porch.

He didn't move from the spot very much the last few days of his life. When he was well, whenever I would open the sliding glass door, he would jump down and run to the door. During those last few days, it took a lot of coaxing. I felt so bad for him. Despite the obvious discomfort of all that fluid pushing against his organs, he still purred when I would pet him.

Smokey wasn't a very affectionate cat. His mother was a feral cat from whom he was rescued as a kitten. He loved being outdoors and ruled our yard like a lion. He came in the house only to eat and sleep and never sat on anyone's lap. Only in the past year would he let me pick him up. It took a while, but he came to enjoy it and would purr loudly when I held him and stroked his head and scratched his cheeks and behind his ears.

We had a routine that was very special to me -- and to him, too, I hope. Every morning, the first thing I would do would be to open the vertical blinds that covered the sliding glass door to the back porch. He would be sitting at the door, waiting to come in for his breakfast. I felt guilty about making any noise and having him know I was in the house and making him wait, so I made letting him in my first priority every morning. I may be delusional, but I think he sensed that -- how much I wanted to see him and make him feel welcomed.

His first stop was at the scratching post inside the door. I would patiently wait for him to do his thing, then pet him as he made his way to the tray with his food and water in the kitchen. As he munched on Cat Chow, which was always available, I would prepare a can of Fancy Feast. After a few nibbles of kibble, he would rub against my leg and make noise that he was ready for the good stuff. After his meal, as I ate my cereal and soy milk and perused the Los Angeles Times, he found his place on the La-Z-Boy chair he called his own in the dining area.

I sure miss my cat. There are those who will think me crazy to get so attached to a pet like I did, but he was a great friend. I strived to make sure he knew that whenever he saw me, he knew that he was loved and would be cared for. It was not always that way, however. When he was young, he got in a fight and got very sick from an abscess under his scalp. The vet shaved his head and opened up his scalp and flushed it out. He sent him home with a hole in his scalp that we were expected to flush with an antibiotic solution twice a day. Needless to say, it was a struggle and I have the scars to prove it. But he survived, and we made up.

This morning, when I got up, I was sick knowing he wouldn't be at the door. But I opened the blinds and the sliding glass door and welcomed him in anyway. I looked at the empty lounge chair and cried. I imagined him scratching on his post and meowing for his breakfast. When I got home tonight, it was dark. As I went to the kitchen, I caught myself squinting and looking at the glass door to see if he was perched there, wanting to come in. Being gray, he was hard to see in the dark, but if he was there, I always went straight to the door and welcomed him in. I really missed seeing him there.

We asked the vet to have Smokey cremated and to provide us with his remains. We'll blend them into the soil at the base of a tree in the backyard where our Golden Retriever Sandy's remains are. These were our pets through most of our years here on Anthony Street when Chris and Dean were growing up. When we brought Smokey home as a kitten, Sandy took to him immediately. Smokey developed a habit of licking Sandy around the eyes, cleaning off any matter that accumulated there. Sandy, who outweighed Smokey by 50-60 pounds, would lie on the floor quite placidly, letting her feline friend take care of her.

I think I'll open the sliding glass door every morning and every evening and say hello to my feline friend for quite a while. Farewell, Smokey. Thanks for everything you gave us -- for everything you gave me.