Did you know that only four American holidays continue to be celebrated on their proper calendar days? They are Independence Day, New Year’s Christmas and Halloween. Of all the secular holidays, the fourth of July is the only one whose date of celebration has resisted change. This year the Griffins celebrated the Fourth on the Third of July to accommodate one of my best friends, former Air Force General Counsel Jeh Charles Johnson and his family. We had a ball. I killed my finest cow! 

In 1998, Jeh Charles Johnson left his law firm Paul Weiss to accept an appointment from President Clinton as General Counsel of the Department of the Air Force, following nomination and confirmation by the U.S. Senate. In that position Jeh served as the chief legal officer and one of the civilian leaders of a military department of 1,700 lawyers and 500,000 personnel with an $80 billion dollar budget. 

I was thrilled to hear about the Johnson Vacation that would lead them through Alabama. Jeh’s mother had ancestors that lived in Selma, Alabama. So we planned a visit to Selma upon their arrival in Montgomery, Alabama. I had contacted my friend Jimmy Nunn, the City Attorney to alert him that he would have a distinguished visitor on July 3^rd. Jeh Charles Johnson and his family were surprised to be greeted by Selma Mayor James Perkins. They were equally surprised when he presented them with a beautiful key to the city. The Mayor came into the office to make the presentation even though July 3^rd was a holiday for the city. I was impressed! I was also impressed when Mrs. Norma Johnson, Jeh’s mother saw one of her ancestor’s names on the cornerstone of Brown Chapel. R. M. Goodwyn was listed on the cornerstone as the secretary. 

We left Debra and Greg Jr. back at the house to finish up the grilling. I had purchased 45 T-bone Steaks. We also had ribs and chicken. We had 29 guest and no left over food. It was really good.  Some of those among our distinguished guest were: Jeh Charles Johnson, his wife Dr. Susan Dimarco and their two children Jeh and Natalie; Jeh’s parents Mr. and Mrs. Jeh Vincent Johnson, Jeh’s sister Margurite Crocker, Dr. Jean Green Crawford, Dr. Paul Mohr and his guest Taquora, Dr. Robert Gaskin, Rev. Terry McCreary and his daughters Terry and Amber, Michael and Kay Briddell and their daughter Brittany, Rob and Minerva Tate, Gwen Glover and her daughter Calea, my immediate family and parents Dr. and Mrs. Melvin J. Griffin Sr.

In the words of my dad, “If you don’t have money at least have class!”

Greg Griffin is a free lance writer. You can read his previous articles by visiting his web page at www.greggriffin.com