814. Pensacola Youth Runs Afoul of Queen Elizabeth II

The somber news of the passing of one of the world's greatest monarchs in modern history brings a story to mind of her connection with Pensacola. Once upon a time, a young Pensacola boy was living on the British Island of Antigua in the British West Indies in 1955. The US Navy was there building a radar station for America's new satellite program that had began the year before. Being a British island, naturally their currency was British so the five-year old boy had to learn shillings, half penny, sixpence, pounds, etc. in addition to the American currency. As far as their education system, the kindergarten was taught by Episcopal nuns at a level that far exceeded their US counterparts.

The school's notebooks at St. Michael's were all British therefore, they displayed the photo of a young Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Philip Mountbatten who had risen to power three years before in 1952. The boy had put up with the new currency, the funny words, the extra hard curriculum, and even school uniforms but it was getting on his nerves. But for awhile, Queen Elizabeth and the young five-year old American lived in peaceful coexistence! Then one day a rift was created between the two, all caused by his father, a Chief Hospital Corpsman with the US Navy.

On that horrible day, that fell just short of an international crisis, his father was having coffee with his mother while they were talking about this and that. Being a "doodler" by nature he drew a mustache on Queen Elizabeth right there on his son's workbook. No one paid much attention until he returned to school the next day where the blasphemy was seen immediately by the school's nuns. Justice swiftly descended on the young boy's head as he repeatedly defended his innocence! He tried his best to place the blame on the actual culprit but all to no avail. The notebook was confiscated by the school authorities and likely quickly destroyed before a possible revolt against the Queen could be organized and carried out!

But then the issue of punishment was discussed among the nuns, especially since the young boy was an American citizen and whether they had the authority to punish him at all. After a long debate on international law, the decision was made and preparations were made to carry it out! The young man was marched in front of the class and told to grab the back of a chair with both hands. The executioner stepped forth with a wooden ruler and began to whack the boy's knuckles three times sharply. Being an American, he stubbornly refused to cry in front of the British students and teachers but a whimper or two did in fact leak out.

When he returned home, he was asked how his day went and he blurted out his heart wrenching story! When he was finished, his father surprisingly laughed at him uncontrollably but did give him a thumbs up for manfully taking his undeserved punishment! Just 4,100 miles away, the Queen had her afternoon tea as she dismissed the injustice as a slight international misunderstanding. But on the other side of the pond, the young man was forced to live the rest of his life with the knowledge of the vandalism that had been placed at his feet!