Boocoo Dinky Dow
  • Home
  • Buy the book
  • Reviews
  • The authors
  • Excerpt
  • Blog

Lunch meat, art and memories

2/11/2018

1 Comment

 
Picture
Before there was email spam, there was pork, with ham, salt, water, modified potato starch, sugar, and sodium nitrite -- AKA, SPAM. In 1970-72 it provided sustenance to a trio of hungry Seattle art students. One of them was Joe Tschida -- who, upon seeing a SPAM commercial during the Super Bowl, was inspired to look up a couple of his old buddies on the Internet. One of them was Grady Myers.

"I went to art school with Grady in the early 70s, when we'd make fried SPAM sandwiches every Monday night together," Joe said in an email, explaining what led him to this website about Grady's war memoir. "So sorry to hear of his passing. Just ordered  Boocoo Dinky Dow on Amazon."

This definitely tops the list of stories I've heard about how people found the book that Grady and I co-wrote.

Joe knew Grady about eight years before I did, and heard Grady's war stories when they were truly fresh. Immediately after Grady recovered from the wounds he suffered in Vietnam, he used his veteran's benefits to enroll in the Burnley School of Professional Art (now the Art Institute of Seattle).

"Mostly I remember a big, jolly, sarcastic and talented friend and not really bitter about his war experiences, and his willingness to share them. I can also remember him driving around Seattle in his cool Morgan with his old army jacket, long hair, big mustache, and one of those Scottish-looking hats that snap in the front."

Joe is a graphic designer who was interested to know about Grady's art career. I couldn't give him a single website that features Grady's art, much of which was done for newspapers. But I did share with him the Route of the Hiawatha interpretive signs, which Grady created for the U.S. Forest Service and considered a major achievement.  And there are his Vietnam artworks included in the book, which are in the National Veterans Art Museum. Some of them are shown on the museum website.

Grady -- who never lost his affection for SPAM -- would've been beside himself with delight to hear from Joe. 

Picture
Art school graduate and US Army veteran Grady Myers with his beloved Morgan, 1973
1 Comment
Atlanta Drug Rehab link
5/9/2025 06:05:56 am

Atlanta Drug Rehab centers deliver comprehensive care for those struggling with drug addiction. From detox to aftercare, our experienced team supports each step of the recovery journey in a safe, structured, and compassionate setting.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    

    Julie Titone is co-author of the Grady Myers memoir "Boocoo Dinky Dow: My short, crazy Vietnam War." Grady was an M-60 machine gunner in The U.S. Army's Company C’s 2nd Platoon, 1st Battalion, 8th Regiment, 4th Infantry Division in late 1968 and early 1969. His Charlie Company comrades knew him as Hoss. Thoughts, comments? Send Julie an email.

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    November 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    May 2016
    November 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    July 2014
    May 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012

    RSS Feed

  • Home
  • Buy the book
  • Reviews
  • The authors
  • Excerpt
  • Blog