Page 38 - Senior Link Magazine Fall 2017- Online Magazine
P. 38
Karl Julius
“Smokey” Gast Mechanic, “Fireboy”, “Bandana
Man” and Gentleman
of service “
boatswain’s mate, but his actual whose area If you start
war assignment was at Combat something,
Supply Base Samar in the included his finish it, and
Philippines, probably closer to home town
Australia than to the Philippine of Farwell, do it the best
capital of Manila. The Filipino Texas. A you can.
population was struggling to difference of
survive, and awareness of their opinion led “
despair affected Smokey. Farwell to
establish its own volunteer fire
In April 1946 he completed department in 1956. Smokey was
a diesel mechanics course, one of thirty charter members of
although he didn’t work as the “Farwell Fireboys”, often the
a mechanic until after he left first to respond when the siren
the Navy. But he does believe sounded. He was Fire Marshall
his service contributed to his and Assistant Fire Chief for
development into the outgoing, Farwell when he retired in 1992.
friendly, and helpful citizen he In fact, the only job he didn’t
arl Julius “Smokey” Gast became on his return home. His hold during his service from 1956
was born in Illinois in daughter Jackie Walker reports to 1992 was Fire Chief.
KOctober 1925, but moved how he easily hitch-hiked home
in 1929 from the struggling in uniform from his discharge His civic career covered more
family farm to Santa Fe, NM, site, arriving in three days, than just fire department service.
where his father began working which was faster than the bus He served on the school board
as a mechanic in various could have delivered him. His and was a living example of a
communities in New Mexico. no-nonsense practical German Christian gentleman, well known
The family settled in Farwell, TX mother had three sons on active and respected by all who met
in 1940, and Smokey joined his duty, all of whom returned him, many of whom became his
father working as an automobile safely. She had them each strip lifelong friends. Over the years,
mechanic while finishing his high down to prove none of them had he even became identified as “the
school education. High school gotten tattooed. No one dared to bandana man” for his custom of
was challenging because so many face her ire for such an event. giving bandanas to all his friends.
men had been drafted to fight in He met his wife Dorothy from St. He is known for his hard work,
the war. Vrain, New Mexico in 1946, and consistency and dependability.
His daughter proudly says he
He was 17 when he graduated in they married in 1948. Dorothy taught his kids, “If you start
May 1943, but decided to enlist kept the books as Smokey’s early something, finish it, and do it the
in the Navy before he became days as a mechanic extended best you can.”
eligible for beyond automobile repair to
the draft work on Smokey’s wife Dorothy died in
on his 18th irrigation 1983 after 35 years together. He
birthday. He motors. married Clara in 1985, but her
was in Navy In 1951 he health began to fail soon after,
boot camp in joined the and Smokey cared for her the
San Diego by Texico, New final 15 years of her life. He also
June 3, 1943. Mexico cared for his mother and later his
His training volunteer fire mother-in-law and stepmother-
was as a department, in-law in the later years of their
lives.
38 Lubbock Senior Link
