The Slice: Military appreciates a good soldier

A military recruiter phoned Spokane’s John Jasley and asked if he had given any thought to his future.

The question caught Jasley off guard. But he told the caller his future looked fine.

The recruiter then inquired as to whether he had ever considered military service.

Yes, Jasley said. He had. But that was some time ago.

“Been there and done that,” he said.

You see, Jasley is 87. He is a decorated World War II combat veteran who served as a radio operator/gunner in B-24 bombers.

He lives in a Spokane retirement community now. But he has taken several community college courses in recent years. And his theory is that signing up for these classes is how his name wound up on a recruiter’s call list.

To the best of his knowledge, there isn’t anyone else around here with his exact same name.

Considered military service? Yes, before the recruiter was born.

Jasley spent his postwar years working as an administrator for National Cash Register.

He and his wife, Christine, moved to Spokane in the 1950s and liked it here. They just celebrated their 62nd anniversary.

Though he’s doing fine and feels pretty good, he falls somewhat outside the profile of an ideal prospective soldier.

So when the recruiter realized his mistake, he did not say, “Well, what have you done lately?”

He just thanked Jasley for his service and wrapped up the conversation.

The recruiter might not have been on the phone with the good-natured retiree long enough to learn one more thing: John Jasley has a great laugh.

“If you are missing someone who fits this description: Pava Young said she was puzzled by a “Found” classified ad she came across in the S-R. It read, “FOUND large pregnant female in Mead. Please call ….”

“Speaking of memories of the old dorm (Tuesday’s Slice): When Lois Batson went down to Pullman for her granddaughter’s graduation from WSU, she discovered that the young woman resided in a dorm Batson had lived in 60 years before. “What a rush of memories,” she wrote.

“Slice reader Robert Luedeking’s proposed car models: “Palouse – 30-year-old grain truck with a faulty muffler.”

“Grand Coulee – a supersized SUV.”

“Tumtum – slicked up, modernized Beetle.”

“When you help pay, you get some say: The KSPS-TV home page identifies the station as serving “Spokane/Calgary/Edmonton.”

“Today’s Slice question: What do your co-workers say behind your back about the way you dress?