Victor — Roy Lives

Linda

Linda is my younger sister.

My older brother, Richard Frederick Flatt, was born on 20 October 1937, and I was born on 03 January 1939. We were both conceived while Dad was in the Navy. I was born after he finished his Navy enlistment.

Dad spent four years in the Navy, leaving in late 1938. He then went to work at a lumber mill in Waco, Texas. He worked there until December 7, 1942, when he enlisted in the U. S. Army Air Force. From that time until his death, he was heavily involved in training or on combat status in Europe.

Dad managed to get Mom pregnant during his Air Force days, and he was so excited. He was determined that he was going to get a little girl this time.

He even bought an engraved locket with her name on it, although at that time, they could not determine the sex of the baby.

He even decided that his little girl would be named Linda Louise and would paint “LINDA LOU” on the side of his B-24 bomber when he got to England. He left the U. S. for Europe in December 1944.

Mail delivery was slow at that time. Even though Dad did not get the happy news of his daughter’s birth until two weeks after the event, he was overjoyed.

Linda Louise Flatt was born on 04 January 1945, one day after my 6th birthday. (There’s an omen there somewhere).

She was a beautiful baby and was loved by everyone. Mom was so proud, and Dad was joyfully beside himself—bragging to all his fellow airmen. He had Linda’s photograph and showed it to everyone.

At the “ancient” age of 27 and a father of three children, they called him—among other names—“Old Man.”

Tragically, he never got to see his little girl. He was killed in a mid-air collision during his 4th combat bombing mission on 06 February 1945.

Mom was devastated. They had so much love for one another and depended on each other. Mom and the three of us kids moved in with Mom’s parents.

Jesse Bowman Jones is my grandfather. My middle name comes from “Grandaddy.” Lillie Iola Ada (Short) Jones is my grandmother. We all called her “Big Mamma” and loved her. She was the rock in our lives in those early days.

Linda was loved by all and spoiled by all. She was always talked about when she was a little girl as the little girl who never got to see her daddy. I think she was told this so much that it strongly affected her as she grew up.

Linda, Richard, and I grew up with just our mother from that point on. We did have the love and guidance of our grandparents, friends, and relatives provided, and we progressed as best we could in a somewhat “normal” life.

Linda grew up with lots of friends and did reasonably well in school. She graduated from high school, but she never attended college.

She was smart and made a good life for herself, but she seemed to have difficulty finding a mate with whom she could be happy.

She was married (and divorced) 3 times and had four children. She had a hard time with it, much of the time with little help from anyone. She also tried to help our mother since they both still lived in Waco.

Her health deteriorated as she got older, mainly due to being a heavy smoker. Eventually, it killed her at the age of 65 in 2010.

Linda is buried beside her mother and father in Oakwood Cemetery in Waco, Texas.