Throughout our lives, we give and receive probably hundreds or maybe even thousands of gifts from many people in our lives. I’ve got a handful that I’ve been given by people in my life that hold a special place in my heart. Many are not expensive or have any real value other than what they represent. Some are from my daughter, parents, grandparents, and partner. Sometimes it’s something they purchased, earned, or was just a small part of their everyday life. One such item that I’ve received in the past couple of years are knives given to me by someone I love and respect.
That item is a Buck 110 Auto knife that was given to me by my best friend from my time in the Navy. It’s made even more poignant because he died this past January from Covid 19 complications. We first met onboard our ship the USS Horne CG-30 in 1976. We were both boot Machinist Mates and assigned to the same engine room. It was hard, hot, dirty work, with long hours and little free time. We became close and fast friends spending all of our liberty time together. The knife of choice back then was the Buck 110 and was common to see on the belts of shipmates both onboard the ship and on liberty on the beach. I separated in January of 1979 and my buddy separated later in the ear. I moved to New Jersey and he returned to Minnesota.
We stayed in touch for about ten years by phone, mail (snail mail), and I visited him once in Minnesota, but then as often happens we drifted apart. A few years ago I found a webpage for our ship that includes a Deck Log of former shipmates but his name wasn’t on it. Then in December of 2017, I saw his name on the Deck Log with an email. I nervously banged out an email to him reintroducing myself and giving him my phone number. A few days later we were talking as if not a minute had elapsed between us, a few weeks later he was picking me up at the airport in Arizona for a visit. It was amazing that after thirty years we could pick up right where we had left off.
In December of 2018, we exchanged some Christmas gifts; his gift to me was a new Buck model 110 auto opening knife. It’s just like my original Buck 110 that I carried on the ship (Now in my daughter’s possession) with the addition of the auto opening feature. It’s one of those things that someone gives you that hold a special place in our lives. We were able to get together a few more times to include attending a homeport reunion of our ship in San Diego, Ca in January 2019.
We were going to get together again in 2020 when Covid hit. My buddy had some medical issues related to our service time. We talked and texted throughout the year and in December of 2020, I sent him a package for Christmas that included a handmade sheath for the BUCK 110 (he had the same one and was a big collector of them). I didn’t hear anything from him and on December 31, 2020, I got a message from him saying that he was in the hospital with COVID. We texted back and forth for the next six days he couldn’t talk on the phone due to having trouble breathing. One of his last messages said that he had made his peace with God and he wished that we hadn’t drifted apart and lost all those years. Two days later his brother told me that he had died.
This knife is special it reminds me of him and our friendship every time I use it or look at it. It reminds me to stay keep in contact with friends and family even when life is busy and we don’t think there’s time. We only get one shot at life and it’s up to us to make the effort. I miss you Bro and love you, I’ll see you on the other side. In memory of MM2 Art Chesler, USS Horne CG-30, 1976-1979.
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Thoroughly enjoyed your article. It goes to show the great friendship you and Art had!
Nicely written Art . We were all brothers. Would have not changed it for anything.