MY CONNECTION TO RYAN TANNEHILL
1/13/20
Several years ago I noticed Texas A&M had a player named Ryan Tannehill who
was playing wide receiver. Later he was the starting quarterback. Hey, I thought, that
name sounds familiar. Searching my distance past memory bank I came up with a
name that matched. That name was: Lane Tannehill. I wondered if he was related to
Ryan. The years have slipped away, but my memory of a certain incident is well
embedded in my mind as well as my head in the form of a scar on my forehead. As
the memory of this incident came flooding back to me, I began to search the Internet
for a Lane Tannehill and upon finding one I called him. Lo and behold he answered
and yes he was from Abernathy, Texas originally and now a retired football coach
and yes, Ryan was his grandson. When I related the incident and who I was, he had
no memory of it but did remember one connection. He told me his house was located
across the street from the Abernathy Church of Christ, which is where my
Grandfather was the minister and also where the incident that gave me the scar
occurred.
In 1945 I was 6 years old and because my birthday was after September 1, I was not
allowed to enter the Abernathy first grade until I reached 7. I think Lane must have
been 5 at the time and was not in school either. Because I had at least three uncles
still in the armed forces and one other had been killed; plus several of my favorite
cousins still in, I was very aware of WW II. Apparently either Lane or I had a wooden
toy machine gun with legs. As I picture in my long forgotten mind, I picture a replica of
a machine gun sitting on a rotating four legged stand. We were celebrating the end
of WW II, I clearly remember that. As we celebrated, somehow, Lane threw down one
of the gun’s legs and when he did it hit the ground, bounced up and hit me square in
the head. I began squalling immediately and Grandmother and Aunt Martha rushed
out to see what was wrong. They saw blood everywhere and Aunt Martha rushed me
to the Doctor where I was still crying. To get me to quit squalling she told me she
would give me the little guy with the parachute, which I had a real desire to possess.
As soon as I heard this, my crying and screaming abruptly stopped. I can still see that
little guy enough to give a glimpse of what he looked like. It was an army man doll
with a cap like an aviator would wear. A silk parachute was attached to the little doll
with four strings. Aunt Martha’s husband, my Uncle Frank Farrell had given the doll to
Aunt Martha and she was very proud of it and would not dare let me touch it, much
less play with it, so the fact that she was willing to give it up to me because I was hurt
and crying really meant a lot. Of course later the doll ended up suspended from a hi-
line somewhere in Abernathy, which is why she didn't want me to play with it in the
first place.
My Grandmother always saved everything and one day I found evidence to verify the
date of the incident and number of stitches taken. With all that blood; all that
screaming and crying only 2; that’s right, two stitches. In my Grandmother’s
handwriting, 2 stitches; hurt by Lane Tannehill; May 8, 1945. I knew we were
celebrating the end of WW II,
I began researching to see if this was a true date. Politico reported the following
which corresponds to the date of our celebration. We were celebrating the day after
the signing.
Germany surrenders, May 7, 1945
By ANDREW GLASS 5/07/2013 05:11 AM EDT
On this day in 1945, Gen. Alfred Jodl, representing the German High Command,
signed a document unconditionally surrendering all German forces, thereby all but
ending World War II in Europe. The signing ceremony took place at Supreme
Headquarters of the Allied Expeditionary Force at Reims, in northwestern France.
Ryan’s time a A&M ended several years ago as he declared for the NFL draft. His
coach at A&M was Mike Sherman and Mike was fired from A&M, but was hired as
coach of the Miami Dolphins which is where Ryan Tannehill ended up. The reason I
am thinking about Ryan now is because he was traded to the Tennessee Titans this
year and Ryan has them is the AFC championship, playing the Kansas City Chiefs.
After the Texans Sunday, January 12th, debacle, I will be strongly supporting the
Titans and Ryan Tannehill. My connection with Ryan’s grandfather and my story is a
big part of it, but also I am an Aggie. Go Titans and Tannehill!!!
Several years ago I noticed Texas A&M had a player named Ryan Tannehill who
was playing wide receiver. Later he was the starting quarterback. Hey, I thought, that
name sounds familiar. Searching my distance past memory bank I came up with a
name that matched. That name was: Lane Tannehill. I wondered if he was related to
Ryan. The years have slipped away, but my memory of a certain incident is well
embedded in my mind as well as my head in the form of a scar on my forehead. As
the memory of this incident came flooding back to me, I began to search the Internet
for a Lane Tannehill and upon finding one I called him. Lo and behold he answered
and yes he was from Abernathy, Texas originally and now a retired football coach
and yes, Ryan was his grandson. When I related the incident and who I was, he had
no memory of it but did remember one connection. He told me his house was located
across the street from the Abernathy Church of Christ, which is where my
Grandfather was the minister and also where the incident that gave me the scar
occurred.
In 1945 I was 6 years old and because my birthday was after September 1, I was not
allowed to enter the Abernathy first grade until I reached 7. I think Lane must have
been 5 at the time and was not in school either. Because I had at least three uncles
still in the armed forces and one other had been killed; plus several of my favorite
cousins still in, I was very aware of WW II. Apparently either Lane or I had a wooden
toy machine gun with legs. As I picture in my long forgotten mind, I picture a replica of
a machine gun sitting on a rotating four legged stand. We were celebrating the end
of WW II, I clearly remember that. As we celebrated, somehow, Lane threw down one
of the gun’s legs and when he did it hit the ground, bounced up and hit me square in
the head. I began squalling immediately and Grandmother and Aunt Martha rushed
out to see what was wrong. They saw blood everywhere and Aunt Martha rushed me
to the Doctor where I was still crying. To get me to quit squalling she told me she
would give me the little guy with the parachute, which I had a real desire to possess.
As soon as I heard this, my crying and screaming abruptly stopped. I can still see that
little guy enough to give a glimpse of what he looked like. It was an army man doll
with a cap like an aviator would wear. A silk parachute was attached to the little doll
with four strings. Aunt Martha’s husband, my Uncle Frank Farrell had given the doll to
Aunt Martha and she was very proud of it and would not dare let me touch it, much
less play with it, so the fact that she was willing to give it up to me because I was hurt
and crying really meant a lot. Of course later the doll ended up suspended from a hi-
line somewhere in Abernathy, which is why she didn't want me to play with it in the
first place.
My Grandmother always saved everything and one day I found evidence to verify the
date of the incident and number of stitches taken. With all that blood; all that
screaming and crying only 2; that’s right, two stitches. In my Grandmother’s
handwriting, 2 stitches; hurt by Lane Tannehill; May 8, 1945. I knew we were
celebrating the end of WW II,
I began researching to see if this was a true date. Politico reported the following
which corresponds to the date of our celebration. We were celebrating the day after
the signing.
Germany surrenders, May 7, 1945
By ANDREW GLASS 5/07/2013 05:11 AM EDT
On this day in 1945, Gen. Alfred Jodl, representing the German High Command,
signed a document unconditionally surrendering all German forces, thereby all but
ending World War II in Europe. The signing ceremony took place at Supreme
Headquarters of the Allied Expeditionary Force at Reims, in northwestern France.
Ryan’s time a A&M ended several years ago as he declared for the NFL draft. His
coach at A&M was Mike Sherman and Mike was fired from A&M, but was hired as
coach of the Miami Dolphins which is where Ryan Tannehill ended up. The reason I
am thinking about Ryan now is because he was traded to the Tennessee Titans this
year and Ryan has them is the AFC championship, playing the Kansas City Chiefs.
After the Texans Sunday, January 12th, debacle, I will be strongly supporting the
Titans and Ryan Tannehill. My connection with Ryan’s grandfather and my story is a
big part of it, but also I am an Aggie. Go Titans and Tannehill!!!
