[November 20, 2024] Here is some good news. That skinny small-town boy from the Deep South – and born on the bayou (like the 1969 CCR song) – turned out okay. I would marry and have two children; the happiest days of my life were their birth and their growing up. Nothing is more important or fulfilling than the family. Of course, being an educated and informed Christian is what sets the standard for proper moral values to live by.
I also spent a couple of months shy of forty years in the U.S. Army, advancing from the rank of Private to Brigadier General. In the Army, I met one of my life’s goals of being an Infantry “Buck“ Sergeant (like in the TV series Combat!) and then later being commissioned as an Infantry Officer, finishing my career as a Combat Engineer. Those years were often extraordinarily difficult but worth it; the hardest part was being separated from those I loved.
However, my military service was a small accomplishment relative to the amazing experience of meeting and working with some of the greatest people that America ever produced, both on and off the battlefield. They are why I’m so rich, not in money or fame but in family, friends, and acquaintances. They are the ones who ensured that I was a steady, ready, relevant, focused, and honorable man.
These letters I wrote were originally conceived to inform my granddaughter (and grandsons) about my life growing up, mostly growing up across the southern and southwestern states. What I discovered along the many moves from town to town is that no matter where I was, my neighbors were always kind, helpful, hard-working, and darn good people to be in the company of, and they had families too that would grow and prosper. And yes, I did run into some really bad folks along the way that needed my attention.
Growing up, the young men that I looked up to were recently returning from WWII. They were widely and rightly recognized as the Greatest Generation of our times. These men secured America’s greatest achievements, and we would write their names in our country’s history. I tried to model myself on them, those real men who were properly labeled as heroes.
Now, in my retirement years, people I meet will often ask if I miss living in the South: fishing, hunting, boating, living outdoors camping, and knowing all the good folks who live there. In these letters, I write fondly of “my people,” mostly living in Louisiana and Arkansas and later in Texas, those often living at the lowest rung on the socio-economic ladder. Indeed, the nostalgia is strong. The siren song of the South still sings in my consciousness, calling me back, much like the 1974 hit song “I’m Coming Home” by a very famous singing group called The Spinners.
There should be little doubt about my love for the South, my family members who still live there, and those great folks I’ve known all my life. The best answer to the question I can give – whether I would live there again today – is not as important as those who remain my friends in the South. I now have good friends who live all over America and, yes, across the world. I do my best to stay in contact with them because I owe them for enriching my family and myself.
After I retired, I found some benefits to actively working in a small Boy Scout Troop. Seeing those boys learning the skills I learned across the rural areas of southern and southwestern states is emotionally comforting. My outdoor skills are a little rusty now, which is certainly true, but I picked up a few new ones, like how to keep my cellphone charged and use the GPS in my car.
Hey, if there is a useful tool, learn how to use it wisely and know how to do without it. I learned that when tragedy hits, all you might have are your skills, attitude, experience, and physical health. And I have a spare paper map of the northeast U.S., a compass, and a tourniquet in my car’s glove compartment and a first aid kit in the trunk, just in case.
There is no need for me to get philosophical now that letters are at a close, but the “Letters to My Granddaughter” series is definitely at an end. I will occasionally write an article about an episode about growing up that I think might be of interest. I hope you enjoy these additional stories. Some are included here in my blog, and a few I may later publish.
An unexpected consequence of writing these letters is that I was able to see what I learned as a kid translated into success, or sometimes failure, in adulthood, and it benefited me greatly in the Army. One early childhood example is that I owned and used guns for hunting. The link to the Army is obvious as I regularly qualified in the Army with pistol and rifle at the expert level. I also gained a deep respect for guns, gun safety, combat shooting, defensive use, lawful and ethical uses, and gained a better, more refined skill set in their employment when I retired.
I learned that the most important thing in our life on Earth is your family. That means putting out the effort to find a partner that you can marry, have children, and grow old with together. True, I wasn’t always that good at picking good women to date, and I sure dated some real doozies and some crazies. Close friends called some of them “wild.” I called them “whackos.” Common advice my good friends gave me was, “Drop that girl now.” Of course, I would fail to listen to their advice and I paid a high price. Always pay attention to your friends.
As I write this epilogue, I sit in my easy chair with a cup of hot coffee; my dog sits at my feet. My lovely wife Nancy – who cares for me as I recover from knee replacement surgery – is what any man would want in a real woman. I learned that a good wife, children, and grandchildren matter more than any career or “things.” But you must set reasonable standards and not allow creeping narcissism or other bad behaviors to destroy the family from within.
Now that I have been retired for a decade, I can read, think, and discuss with others what I’ve seen and learned and verify some details I overlooked or misunderstood. I’m still in contact with folks who live in Mer Rouge and Bonita, Louisiana – where most of my stories originate – who were able to provide names, confirm events, places, approximate dates, and answer some of my odd questions. This is what spare time can provide to an old foot soldier.
Several family members have requested me to put these letters into book form so that others can enjoy my tales of growing up. My story is not so different from others, and there is not much that stands out here to merit such a book. I’ll decide that later.
I will dedicate these letters to my grandchildren, which is the obvious thing to do, but also to my parents and siblings, all major players in my life. To all of them, THANK YOU.
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NOTE: See all my letters here: https://www.theleadermaker.com/granddaughter-letters/
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Please read my books:
Sir, excellent letter and i am surprised by it since i thought the series had come to an end. Please turn these into a book.
Sir, just a short note to thank you for publishing these letters to your granddaughter. They have been an inspiration to me now for over a year. They tell the story of your youth and, like me, they tell the story of an easy life made better by being raised in a good Christian family.
Yes! These letters are indeed beautiful.
In the late 1990s, I lived on the south side of Bastrop, LA, closets to Mer Rouge. I’d heard about this small town, mostly because of their High School baseball team which was very good. And that the town was very proud of them. I worked at a local grocery store, one that Gen. Satterfield as a little boy may have been to with his mother. I’m glad I lived there but during those years, the area was in economic and social decline, and violence was picking up. I left in 2001 after joining the US Army and never looked back. Thank you Gen. Satterfield for bringing back those memories.
Another wonderfully written letter. I will be recommending this to those I help in my position as a Pastor in a local church.
Excellent. Theses letters do inspire.
Gen. Satterfield took me by surprise this morning when I logged onto my computer. His website is now my main page that automatically comes up. This way I can immediately see what the newest article is for the day. I’m never disappointed.
General Satterfield strikes again and surprises us with an epilogue letter to his granddaughter.
💌💌💌💌💌💌💌💌💌💌💌💌
The best paragraph in this letter now gives us insight into the retirement of Gen. S. He has the time to reflect upon his life and on those that helped him be who he could be. And now he has his FAMILY:
“ As I write this epilogue, I sit in my easy chair with a cup of hot coffee; my dog sits at my feet. My lovely wife Nancy – who cares for me as I recover from knee replacement surgery – is what any man would want in a real woman. I learned that a good wife, children, and grandchildren matter more than any career or “things.” But you must set reasonable standards and not allow creeping narcissism or other bad behaviors to destroy the family from within.” — Gen. Doug Satterfield, who tells us about life and what is important and to always have a proper life’s goal to aim for.
Great, thoughtful, entertaining, deep, wonderful, and tha best.
Maybe, just maybe, we will get a Lessons Learned from childhood. Now that will be a great follow up to the series. 🙏 Praying also that Gen. Satterfield fully and quickly recovers from his knee surgery and that he is able to restart the DAILY FAVORITES. We all can all appreciate these letters and his blog. I for one, would like to see more articles. Hey, one final note, I just finished re-reading “55 Rules for a Good Life.” I’m amazed at what I missed during my first read. My recommendation for everyone here is to go back and re-read this book to pick up on those missed ideas. Plus, the stories are great anyway.
Thanks Wendy, I’d forgotten that Gen. Satterfield recently had surgery. I too hope he is back soon in the saddle.
Great idea, Wendy. Let’s here from Gen. Satterfield what he would like to do. What would be his orientation, from humor and from entertainment or from serious lessons learned. or a combo. Let’s wait and see. thanks again, Wendy for making this suggestion.
Great letter. A great start to linking all these “Letters to My Granddaughter “ together.
Once again Gen. Doug Satterfield takes us by surprise with another love letter to his grandkids. What I liked and appreciated most in them was his ability to tell us his fears, challenges, dislikes, and struggles. Plus, how and if was able to overcome each of those obstacles in his young life. What I saw in his letters was that his life was pretty normal for a Southern upbringing in the 1950s and 1960s. Gen. Satterfield was part of the Baby Boomers and they had to compete with each other because there were so many of them. Today, we have the opposite problem. The world and America’s population is crashing. Now there is a view of the current generation as something special and they know it. The Baby Boomers spoiled this generation. How they turn out is not yet known. 😎
dj, the more the better. I know we are thinking the same thing about nothing else is better then these letters giving us some insight into the mind of a young boy. Great stuff here, and without being an autobiography.
Gen. Satterfield, you’ve done it again, so we do really appreciate it. My question is, What is your next series? And what adventures will you be taking us on?
❤️ Hey, as long as these letters keep coming, then I will keep enjoying them. 💌 HinGen. Satterfield, we live you too. 😍 And if you want to publish more letters of more stories, that’s great too. ✌️ Like most of us here reading these letters, we can see ourselves in them. 🥹 we can even identify our dogs. 🐕 Thank you sir. 🏆
❤️❤️❤️❤️ Beautiful letters ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Gen. Satterfield making our day with an “epilogue” letter. Thank you, sir for telling your kids and grandkids about you growing up in a little town in Louisiana, Arkansas, and Texas … very inspiring and enlightening at the same time. Others have asked so I will too, Will you publish these letters? I have copies of your other two books and consider them treasures. Treasures because they tell a real story of how a successful person sees the world and how to make the world a better place to live and raise a family. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Thank you, Alice and I’m thinking about publishing these letters but if I do, there will b3 some time before I get there. I appreciate the encouragement.
That would make my day, and I am sure you will add more stories and “connect the dots” between them.
👍👍👍👍👍👍
Nailed it, guys. Best letters to Gen. Satterfield’s kids.
BEST LETTERS FOR GEN SATTERFIELD’S GRANDDAUGHTER.
💌 Another, but surprisingly informative letter to Gen. Satterfield’s granddaughter and also his grandkids. 💌
Nothing like this beautiful collection of love letters. Well done. This one was a real surprise because you, sir, had already reached the 100th letter to your granddaughter. I too started writing these kind of letters to tell my children and their future children about how I grew up and the challenges and good and the bad and what I did to become a better person.
Wow
Wow
Wow
….. an epilogue for us. Sir, your entire series was wonderful. From this publication of an epilogue, can we assume you will be putting this into book format? I sure hope so.
Yes, indeed, wow wow woe, an unexpected letter pops up after I thought the series was over.