It all began early in December of 2000 when I was living at the Booth Garden Apartments at 421 North Poplar Street in Chalotte, North Carolina. I had been a widower since 29 September 1989 and fully expected to remain so until I died.

When I needed a break from my work as a braille transcriber, I would work on scanning obituaries that my mother had collected from The Southern Illinoisan over a period of more than 30 years. If the obituary was of a veteran, I would attach a little clip of their branch’s theme:

Army, As the Caissons Go Rolling Along;
Navy, Anchors Aweigh;
Air Force, Off We Go Into the Wild Blue Yonder;
Marine Corps, From the Halls of Montezuma, and
Coast Guard, Semper Paratus

But if it just said the person was a veteran, but didn’t give the branch of service, I still wanted to attach a song. So, I tried to think of what song most Americans of WW2 age would associate with the war, and came up with Irving Berlin’s “God Bless America”, sung by Kate Smith.

So, I went to the Napster music exchange program and typed in a query for Kate Smith singing God Bless America, and back came about 50 “hits’ with the top one being from “kerrysnana70”. Well, I got the song, and that should have been the end of the story, because I would never in a million years have had ANY reason to contact “kerrysnana70” again!

Now, when I saw “kerrysnana70” my old brain thought it was seeing “kerrysnanY70”, not “kerrysnanA70”, and as you know, there is quite a difference between a nany and a nana! Since my nickname for any program requiring one is “vic1927”, my nickname and year of birth, I assumed that “kerrysnanY70” was a 30 year old woman who was a nanY for a little boy named kerry! Wrong! It was “kerrysnanA70” and I was chatting with a 70 year old woman who had a little boy named Kerry! But I am getting ahead of myself, as I am prone to do! As I just said, once I got my song, there was no reason for me ever to contact “kerrysnana70” again. And neither Audrey nor I could remember which one of us made that second contact, but I have an idea it was me! Anyway, after 5 or 6 chats we knew each other’s first names and where we lived. Then one day the question came up of what do I do, etc. and I said I had worked all my life as a printer, and that I was also a long-time braille transcriber.

There was quite a long pause, and then back came this message in the chat window: NOT LIKELY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! with about 50 exclamation marks after it! I was very indignant and said “What do you mean, NOT LIKELY?” And she said, “Because I AM a braille transcriber!” Then it was MY turn to say NOT LIKELY! Now, braille transcribers are by no means unique, but by the same token there is not one in every household! So I said, Audrey, how LONG have YOU been a braille transcriber?” and she said “About 35 years!”

The hairs on my arms started to stand on end, really, and I felt cold! I said, “Audrey, WHEN were you certified?” and she said, “1965” I said, NO WAY, NO WAY Audrey, I was certified in 1965!” And then I said, “Audrey, if you have been certified since 1965 I guarantee you-you will know my last name.” And she said, “Are you Victor HEMPHILL?” We had not exchanged last names yet! I said “Yes! Then she said, are you the Cheat Sheet man? And then she said, “Well, you and I have “met” after a fashion!

Now, in 1970, when I was working as a pressman for Jack Gardner, owner of Poets Corner Press at #3 Orange Street in Nantucket, Massachusetts, I decided to make up a little quick reference sheet containing all of the signs and symbols of Grade 2 English Braille, just for my own convenience. But when it was finished, it looked really nice, so I decided to make it available to any transcriber who might want one. I sent a copy of it to Maxine Dorf, who was then Head of the Braille Development Section of the Library of Congress, and she put a notice in the next issue of Volunteer News (not called Update) that anybody that wanted a copy could write to Victor Hemphill, c/o Poets Corner Press, #3 Orange Street, Nantucket, Massachusetts, and I would send them one free.

Well, a few days after that issue came out, I began getting requests (which I am still getting today, from word-of-mouth!). Most people asked for a single copy, but occasionally I would get a request for multiple copies from the Chairman of a transcribing group. Well, one day, when I was opening my letters, I got a request; not for 1 or 2 or 5 or 10, or even 50, but for 500 (FIVE HUNDRED) copies of my FREE cheat sheet! Since I had just printed up 5000 more of them, I just shrugged my shoulders and went ahead and sent a ream of them!

Well, Audrey said, “You may not remember my name, but I promise you you will remember what I am getting ready to tell you! I distinctly remember, when I was President of the Ventura County Braille Transcribers, sitting at my typewriter and writing a letter to Victor Hemphill in Nantucket, Massachusetts, asking for 500 copies of his cheat sheet (see “cheat sheets’ under the Braille key).

I said, “That was YOU!!!!” What the hell did you want with 500 copies of my FREE braille cheat sheet?” And she said, “Well, the California Transcribers and Educators of the Visually Handicapped were holding their annual convention in Pasadena, just 4 miles from where I lived, and I took those down there and gave one to every person there!!!! There are still quite a few of those “original “Nantucket” cheat sheets around!

So that is the story of why Kate Smith sings God Bless America to you when you open this site!


Click to return home