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Dusty's Blog

Posted: Mar 9th 2010 By: mikeiles

Thought I would write another Murdochism while I wait for the store to find my photos. Yeah, I use film. So sue me for not spending a bajillion dollars on a camera I can?t figure out.

Dick Murdoch rolled into San Antonio one day and called me up. Dick was on his way to New Orleans, seems that he was heading that way to marry Sharon, and they stopped by to visit.
Sharon had never seen the Alamo, so Dick asked if I would mind being the guide for the day.
We all met up at their hotel, and Dick was already talking the Alamo up to Sharon. I could tell this trip was a labor of love. Sharon loved Dick enough, she?d labor through listening to Dick go on about Davey Crockett, them damn Nazis with Santa Anna, and John Wayne.
As we walked up to the Alamo, Dick swatted her sons, and my boy Brett, in the back of the heads in one swift motion. Like something out of the Three Stooges. Dick reminded them to take off their ballcaps and show nothing but respesct and reverence in the Shrine of Texas Independence. The following speech about Santy Annie, and Mussolini at Pearl Harbor, on their way to San Jacinto was better than any Alamo story I had heard before, or have heard since. Dick was so happy to be in the Alamo, he hugged and thanked two of the Daughter?s of the Republic as we went in. The Daughters are a group of gals that have been in charge of keeping the Alamo for over a 100 years. These gals run the Alamo and everything pertaining to the Alamo with an iron fist. Dick was wiping a tear from his eye as he told these gals how proud he was of them.
As we exited into the actual grounds behind the church, Dick bet me they didn?t have a photo of John Wayne anywhere on the place. I tried explaining to Dick, a photo of John Wayne wouldn?t be right in the church, but I was sure the gift shop in the back had something. He didn?t agree. As much as he thought of the Daughters, they didn?t have sense enough to have a photo of John Wayne anywhere. So I bet Dick $10 we could find a photo of John Wayne before we left the grounds of the Alamo. We shook on it, and moved into the gift shop.
I had an idea where to look, and headed straight to that rack. Dick milled around a bit, and then yelled at me, ?pay up Bub, no Duke in here.? I just grinned, and walked over to Dick with an authorized photo history on the making of the first Alamo movie, complete with John Wayne on the cover. Dick was fussing about a sucker bet until he realized he was drawing a crowd.
Dick handed me two $5?s, and grabbed Brett. ?you know how to get out of here?? Brett told Dick yeah, and asked what was up when Dick told Brett he had to get away from the undesirables in the place. They were leaving me. Dick would get Brett some supper, and I could pick Brett up later. Sharon and I found Dick standing by the front of the Alamo, listening to Brett?s directions. Dick was dressed in maroon shorts and a West Texas A&M tshirt. West Texas A&M had been West Texas State, and even though those damn Aggies had bought the place, Dick was still loyal to the hometown boys.
Dick was standing there, when an old Yankee fellow about 187 years old, sitting under a shade tree yelled ?GIG ?EM AGGIES?. Dick turned beet red and told him, ?I ain?t no damn Aggie.?
Dick looked like he was ready for a fight. Until one look told Dick this old guy was one strong breeze from being in Austin. He looked at me all bug eyed, and mumbled ?It?s all your fault.? Dick took off his tshirt, on the steps of the Shrine of Texas Independence, and turned that shirt inside out. Dick put that inside out shirt on that way and walked off with that almost strut he had. Brett was along side Dick, thinking all this was great stuff, when Dick?s new friend looked at me ?Well..he looks like an Aggie.? Sharon and I watched Dick stop, stagger, and twitch for a good 10 seconds before he regained his bearings, and continued following Brett. They were headed the wrong way down Alamo Plaza from the trolley stop, but I knew Brett would figure it out. I knew better than to say anything to Dick.

Tags: Dusty Wolfe, Dick Murdoch