Uncle Denny - A Finished Race

(Posted 05/22/11 By Katie Drews, Chicago Sun-Times) Denny garnered national attention as a gifted young jockey, but a horse racing accident at age 21 left him paralyzed from the waist down, ending his brief career on the track.

The Chicago native later fueled his competitive drive by playing billiards -- on crutches or from a wheelchair -- in amateur leagues and tournaments. Denny “Sweet Stroke”, as he was sometimes called, became a well-known figure in the pool circuit throughout the city and country.

Denny, who last resided in Chicago Ridge, died of cancer May 4 at his sister’s home in Worth, according to his sister Dotty. He was 68.

Born Jan. 19, 1943, Denny grew up in Mount Greenwood on Chicago’s Southwest Side. While attending Mendel Catholic High School, Denny was a quiet, reserved student who dominated as a wrestler, winning 40 of 43 matches.

Because of his short stature and incredible strength, his wrestling coach recommended he look into a career as a jockey. Though Denny had no experience with horses other than once taking a picture with a pony, his sister said, he turned down a wrestling scholarship for the racetrack.

Denny started at the bottom, cleaning stables and walking horses, but he quickly showed his promise as a jockey. Denny took first place in his first professional race and later broke two track records at the former Sportsman’s Park in Cicero. He was nationally ranked as one of the top apprentice jockeys with 625 mounts and 83 wins in his short nine-month career.

“That’s a tremendous feat,” said his friend, Dan Lynch, a retired judge in the Circuit Court of Cook County. “He had an extraordinary number of mounts; that would be unheard of as an apprentice. That’s how good he was.”

On April 25, 1964, at Sportsman’s Park, he fell during a race and was trampled by other horses. After months of hospitalization, doctors said he would never walk again.

“He accepted what happened to him,” Dotty said. “He had more heart than anybody.”

Though he had to use leg braces and crutches to get around, and later a wheelchair, friends said he never complained and continued to live and drive independently.

After the accident Denny also discovered a passion for pool, which he picked up during his downtime at the racetrack. As a paraplegic, however, he had to develop gadgets that would help him reach shots across the table.

Denny ended up competing with some of the best pool players nationwide, according to Jim Parker, president of the Illinois Billiard Club, and he became the second leading point holder in the country in a wheelchair league.

For some time, Denny also owned his own billiard hall in Michigan.

“He was so inspirational in the way he dealt with all this adversity and all this pain,” Parker said. Occasionally, while maneuvering around the pool table, “you could see the pain would hit him. He’d just cringe for 30 or 40 seconds and then it’d pass. He wouldn’t say a word.”

Denny wrote a book about his life that, once published, will benefit the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund.

Denny is preceded in death by his parents, Gerald and Dorothy, and brother Jerry.

A look at "Sweet Stroke" running the table...making 35 consecutive shots in Straight Pool  http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8334891343993737101#

Monkey Friends

Ever wonder how pilots pass the time on a layover...In Ethiopia, all we need is a bag of Reese's Pieces candy to entertain ourselves.

     

Vehicle Safari & Elephant Orphange

During the middle of a 7-day trip, an off day provided the opportunity to partake in a 3-hour vehicle safari in the Nairobi National Park.

We departed on the safari in a 7-person Safari-Minibus, which has a large pop-up roof for wildlife viewing and photography.  Since it is the rainy season in Kenya, the boss and I were the only passengers...with the cool morning temperatures and light rain we were definately under dressed.  To top it off, my camera died after the first picture...but we were still able to capture the following photographs. 

The next stop was the Elephant Orphanage.  The orphanage currently houses 17 baby elephants under 2-years old.  Since the elephants are being reintroduced to the wild after a traumatic seperation, they are only available for viewing by the public for 1-hour as part of an awareness and fundraising effort.  Elephants are highly emotional animals and need constant interaction and companionship...like people, they all have different personalities.

The elephants are accompanied by keepers, who become replacement parents...they are with the animals 24-hours per day.  A keeper actually sleeps in each elephants stall. 

The elephant keepers are recruited from the rural parts of Africa and have a 3-month trial period...some keepers are never able to develop a bond and the elephants will reject them.  The most senior keeper had been there 22 years. 

Unit Recognition

Joint Opertional Support Airlift Command (JOSAC) provides airlift capabilities in support of Department of Defense air transportation requirements.  Army National Guard Fixed-Wing aircraft support the JOSAC mission under a headquarters element, Operational Support Airlift Agency (OSAA), which is located at Ft. Belvoir, Virginia. 

JOSAC annually recognizes National Guard and Reserve units that support their mission.  This year our Detachment was recognized as "Unit Of The Year" Small-Army East category.  The JOSAC Unit Award is in recognition of the collective efforts of the unit, contract maintenance personnel, scheduler, and the "Rear Detachment" personnel.  Below is a recognition ceremony with the Horn Of Africa (HOA) Commander.

Below our HOA maintenance staff is recognized for their support efforts;

Finally, the formal end to the symbol of the 9/11/2001 terrorist attacks...an event that forever altered the lives of military families.