Page 1 - The Friday Flyer ● JULY 5, 2019

CANYON LAKE’S NEWSPAPER • JULY 5, 2019
Poker Run raises money for CL
families in need Pg. A3
Living 70 years of
unplanned perfection
BY PAT VAN DYKE
COLUMNIST, THE FRIDAY FLYER
Joe and Vi Henderson are pictured at their 70th wedding
anniversary party at the Canyon Lake Country Club.
Men's 5.0 tennis Canyon Laker Sara
team wins league Price scores podium
championship Pg. A11 fi nish Pg. A12
Henderson. All seemed to be going well until
the ladies went together to the restroom. While
When a 70th wedding anniversary is there, Vi mentioned to her friend that “other Joe”
reached, a celebration is certainly in wasn’t very communicative as he answered most
order. On Sunday, June 23, long- of her questions with merely a “yes” or “no.”
time Canyon Lake residents Vi Vi’s friend suggested that they switch seats and
and Joe Henderson celebrated Vi’s life has never been the same since.
their 70th anniversary at the Vi and Joe were immediately attracted to one
Canyon Lake Country Club another and spent the rest of the evening in deep
with family and friends. conversation. The following day, Joe took Vi
The story behind their to see an active volcano followed by two more
romance and marriage dates before the USO show continued its travels
is even more incredi- through Japan and Korea.
ble than the number of When asked, now 72 years later, what attract-
years celebrated. It had ed him to Vi, Joe says with a gleam in his eyes,
the markings of a Hall- “She was the prettiest girl in the show!”
mark movie long before For the next 18 months, their love for one an-
Hallmark ever produced other grew through the U.S. mail system. Several
one film. Perhaps, it would seven cent airmail stamps were all that was need-
be better identified with an ed for both Vi and Joe to realize that there was
episode of “The Dick VanDyke something special happening. A steady stream of
Show” of the 1960s. letters found their way between Vi and Joe.
In season one, episode six, Rob In June of 1949, Joe returned from Japan via
Petrie (Dick VanDyke) shares ship to Seattle, Washington. He then traveled to
how he and Laura (Mary Tyler San Francisco where he met Vi’s friend Anne
Moore) met while he was in the and Anne’s husband, Virgil. The following day,
army and she was traveling with a Joe met Vi at the train terminal and together re-
USO show to entertain the troops. turned to Virgil and Anne’s home to ask the two
It was love at first sight along of them to be witnesses at their marriage. Sadly,
with some very humorous hap- Virgil was unable to get excused from an army
penings that only could be pulled engagement.
off by VanDyke and Moore. Vi and Joe then traveled by train to visit Joe’s
Twenty years prior to the pro- father in Shafter, California. During the second
duction of this show, a similar evening at Joe’s father’s home, Joe proposed
event occurred with Vi and Joe. to Vi. The next day, rings were purchased and
In September 1947, Army Sec- the couple was off to Reno, Nevada, to be mar-
ond Lieutenant Joe Henderson ried in the Methodist church on Friday, June 24,
was stationed at Camp Wood, Ku- 1949. The day after the wedding, the newlyweds
mamoto, Japan, as a special ser- started a cross-country trip to Chicago, Illinois,
vices officer. One of the duties he to spend time with Vi’s parents.
oversaw was the care and func- Being a professional dancer and a person who
tion of the on-base theatre. That had an amazing amount of energy, Vi voluntarily
month a USO show arrived to taught several dance classes while the couple
entertain the 21st Infantry Regi- was stationed at various army bases. As an “offi-
ment and in that USO show was a cer’s wife” she had the privilege of attending and
young dancer named Vi. organizing many official army functions, a skill
Joe conducted a tour of the facili- that served her well in her service to her commu-
ties for the entertainers and instantly nities for years to come.
noticed Vi. After the show, Joe and Joe served in the U.S. Army for 25 years and
his friend (also named Joe) asked Vi retired as a lieutenant colonel. Vi was able to
and one of her friends to accompany travel with Joe as they moved from assignment
them to a dinner at the Officer’s Club. The to assignment with the exception of a 13-month
girls quickly responded, “We would be glad tour in Korea in 1958 and 1959. Their favorite
to.” assignments were their two tours in Germany,
Vi was seated next to the “other Joe” totaling five-and-a-half years.
while her friend was seated next to Joe uuCONTINUED PAGE A10