Eulogy for U.S. Cleveland -- 4/28/05 – By Lindsey Williams
U.S. Cleveland was my best friend – and the best friend of Charlotte County. A gentleman of the old South – courteous and obliging to everyone.
He never met a person he didn’t like. And vice-versa. The American Legion chaplain sums it up best -- U.S. never said “no.”
U.S., as he insisted on being called, had a wry sense of humor. When asked for assistance, he would reply – with a smile – “What can I do you for?”
He was generous with his time, energy and wallet -- and his extensive library of photographs, books and historical documents. He described himself as a “confirmed pack rat.”
U.S. was a fountain of information for the Methodist Church, Kiwanis Club and the history societies he served in leadership positions.
Reporters loved him. His memory for names and events was phenomenal. He never hesitated to loan his materials for publication or display. That’s how we met 22 years ago. In the ensuing years, we collaborated on two books.
As assistant postmaster at Punta Gorda, he enjoyed presenting mail to customers who picked up their letters before there was home delivery.
He helped the Postal Service lay out the home numbering system. Even in his advanced years, he could tell you who lived at what street number in the “good old days.”
His avocation was scoutmaster for the original Punta Gorda Boy Scout troop 5. Most weekends he led his scouts on long hikes or over-night campouts.
He was proud of his service in the U.S. Army during World War II. He was drafted into the Signal Corps as a radio operator, graduated from Officers Training School as a lieutenant in charge of one-third of a top-secret broadcasting program code-named Bodyguard.
Its purpose was to deceive Nazis about the D-Day invasion into Europe. General Dwight Eisenhower later declared Operation Bodyguard saved the Normandy Landing.
Throughout the rest of his life, U.S. donated his technical skills to providing public-event sound systems -- notably the International Air Show.
U.S. was promoted to Major in the Army Reserve Corps, and was a stalwart of the Punta Gorda American Legion post.
When I was asked to “say a few words” about our mutual friend – a request I could not resist extending – I chose to share with you a poem by Sam Walter Foss aptly describing him:
The House by the Side of the Road
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