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Family History

After my dad died in 2007, I was spent a lot of time going through the many things he left behind in drawers, cabinets and a shed next to his house. Among them, was his duffel bag (photo below) from his military service on board the ship LST 23 in the south Pacific during World War II. In addition to his uniform (pictured here) was a journal of those years.


Before being deployed to the war zone, he spent time on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, where he received his radioman's training. On one of his journal entries from that time is a single entry for the day: a woman's name. My first thought when I read it was, "I need to ask him about this -- who was she, and what did they do?" Then it hit me like a ton of bricks: I could never again ask him anything -- ever again. The history of his life was now limited to what I knew, and what I could learn from his writings and photographs.

He was quite proud of his heritage and the Davidsons' role in the history of San Bernardino, so about 15 years before he died, he sat down and wrote the story of his life -- in pencil, by hand. He had impeccable penmanship, which I tried to emulate when I was younger, until -- like many people who turned to keyboards to "write" -- it deteriorated into an almost-unintelligible scribble.

I'm fortunate to have my dad's writings and the memory of many conversations about his life. My mom is another story, however. Overshadowed by my dad's persistence in documenting and sharing his family history, I realized I knew far less about Mary Ann Swanson, the shy, well-read writer and editor from Colton High School my dad married. And now, at age 82 and with her memory fading quickly, my opportunities are limited.

What I find fascinating about my mom now -- and my dad in his later years -- is that while she can't remember if she ate breakfast that day, she can name the names of all the classmates in the photo of her high school yearbook staff.

In her book "Infidel," Ayaan Hirsi Ali describes growing up in Somalia and learning the oral history of her clan and memorizing the names of countless generations of ancestors. Unfortunately, most of us know very little about our family histories, mostly because we don't take time to ask, or to document it.

Yesterday, while spending Christmas with my mom, the subject of her many paintings came up. As she often does these days, she wanted to discuss what will happen to the paintings (among other things) when she dies. She lost the ability and the interest to paint years ago, but in the '70s and '80s, she was very prolific and quite good at it. Among the paintings she did are two that I want to keep in the family.

One of them is shown in the photo at the top of this page -- an oil painting depicting the gas station her dad, George Swanson, owned and operated at the corner of Valley Boulevard (in those days, U.S. Highway 99) and Alder Avenue in Bloomington, Calif. If you click on it, you can see a larger version (shot with my iPhone, so not the greatest quality), that shows the Swanson name above the door. My mom and her parents lived here the 1930s and '40s. This version doesn't include the two rooms her dad added on later, but she recalls living for a long time in one room and using the outhouse behind the station.

The second painting (not shown here) is a wonderful depiction of Gallagher's Stables in Big Bear Lake, where she was born in 1928, and where her grandfather (and my middle-namesake) Patrick Gallagher kept horses. I've often wondered if it's the same location where you can now rent horses and ride around the south shore of the lake. I guess I'll never know.

Award-Winning Design

I've posted a lot about Chris's Air Force awards and realize I'm seriously past due on recognizing Dean's accomplishments. It wasn't that long ago that, after an arduous stint as a student, he was graduating from Art Center College of Design and trying to figure out what he was going to do with his BFA degree in graphic design.

After a lengthy time living in Vancouver, B.C., with his wonderful girlfriend Joyce and trying diligently to find work in Canada, he realized he was in the proverbial Catch-22: as an American, he couldn't get a job without a work permit; and without a work permit, he couldn't get a job offer. To everyone's dismay, it was clear he needed to find work south of the border.

Well, it couldn't have worked out better. The distinction associated with his Art Center degree, along with a strong portfolio of student, pro bono and paid professional work, earned him the attention of an outstanding company in Burlington, Wash. Dri-Eaz Corporation was the perfect fit: the one-person graphic design department needed to grow to accommodate the acquisition of new companies and products, and Dean had the chops to take them to the next level. (And Bellingham, where he lives, is only about an hour from Vancouver.)

While other companies across the country are struggling with layoffs and cutbacks, Legend Brands (the brand that now includes Dri-Eaz and other new products) is flourishing. And Dean is at the leading edge of the marketing of those brands. He designed the graphic at the top of this page (click on it to see the full-size version), along with the Sapphire Scientific logo that is part of it. (Notice the hexagonal gem that's inside the SS logo - great stuff!)

As he pointed out during his visit home last week, the company's demographic doesn't change very much from year to year, not does the marketing. As a result, his work isn't the kind of flashy stuff you'll see getting awards at graphic design competitions across the country. But he gets my award for creativity, consistency and for landing a great job with a great company with great benefits.

We're Number One!

My Citrus Valley Velo cycling teammate Dick Gentili asked me recently if I was aware that last year I was ranked number one in the State of California for criterium racing in my age category by USA Cycling, the governing body of amateur road racing. I checked, and sure enough, I was. Below is a screen capture I did of the page, which has since been replaced (click on the image to view it full size). I still can't believe it!
There are a lot of guys who raced more races and finished consistently higher than me in 2008, but the difference was winning the "big" races. This was the first year I ever won more than one race in a season, but the three I won were all NRC (National Race Calendar) events: The Redlands Bicycle Classic, Garrett Lemire Grand Prix in Ojai and the Brentwood Grand Prix (photo of finish above). Because of their rating by USA Cycling, they were weighted more heavily in the scoring.
It turns out I also ended up tied for fourth in the nation, too (click on the image to view it full size):
This is very cool, too, but it's important to note I didn't do it alone. In most cases, I was able to win because of the hard work of my teammates in the field of riders behind me. Cycling is a team sport, and without them I would not have been as successful as I was. Thanks, guys. We're number one!
Photo by Leonard Monge

High Performance, Low Profile

Check this out: Some of Dean's most recent work for Dri-Eaz is on the web. While his work is primarily for print, he works in the same office with Dri-Eaz web dude (er...administrator) Marcus Purnell, who converted a recent piece Dean designed into a web page (click on images to view full size):


Note the source code (highlighted in yellow), where Marcus gave him credit. Very cool:


Dri-Eaz recently purchased two companies and has been marketing them together as Legend Brands. That's keeping Dean plenty busy these days. You could say he's living the CMC100 slogan: "High Performance, Low Profile."

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

- - - - -

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

- - - - -

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

Davidson Communications

Dean and I have launched a new consulting enterprise Davidson Communications. We're currently working on a project for the Bicycle Commuter Coalition of the Inland Empire. Check out our website and if you need the help of a couple of communications pros, fill out the online request form.

High Frontier Honor Guard

Chris has been chosen to serve on the High Frontier Honor Guard, which serves portions of Colorado and Kansas. It's an amazing honor for him to be chosen and represent the president of the United States as a member of this elite team. He'll perform Honor Guard duty one week per month for a year. Way to go, Chris!

Kingpin

From the cartoon strip Kingpin by Dean Davidson

Launch!

On Thursday, Oct. 12, 2007, an Atlas 5 rocket launched from Cape Canaveral and carried the first Wideband Global SATCOM spacecraft into orbit above earth. Shortly after launch, contact was made with the next-generation communications satellite, one of which is equivalent to the entire fleet of vehicles currently circling our globe. Guess who is working in the heart of the operation that manages these mission-critical space vehicles. Yep, none other than USAF Airman First Class Christopher Ross Davidson. Yep, his dad is proud.

Photo credit: Ben Cooper/Spaceflight Now

Typographer

My son Dean Davidson is a graphic designer living in Vancouver, B.C., Canada, and he has a penchant for typography. He likes to create it, use it in his design work and lay down metal versions to print with. He created Cambie while he was a student at Art Center College of Design. Check it out: It's a beautiful font. While you're at it, check out his portfolio, too. If you need a talented designer, give him a call!