What I Really Know About Appetites: Love at First Sundae - AARP Bulletin

About Appetites Sundae Love

Did the soldier really want the strange combination of cherries and strawberry topping piled atop dark fudge on his ice cream sundae? Or was it the distracting waitress who sparked the idea for this strange combination? It was May 1943, during World War II, and this is exactly what Sgt. Lowden (Lo) Hollis, a country lad from Georgia, wanted at the hospital post exchange at the U.S. Army base in Fort Meade, Md. Even in hospital clothes, he was still brutally handsome; he was tall, had a mustache and was a dead ringer for heartthrob Clark Gable in Gone With the Wind. Nearly everybody thought so. As I gripped the counter, white-knuckled, my heart beating rapidly, I saw he had no ring on his finger. And he was looking at me! His buddy had to order the chocolate concoction for him. The movie star look-alike had just undergone surgery to remove a growth in his throat and was under doctor's orders not to speak. I smiled, big and emphatic, with my lips and my eyes. I gently moved the sundae toward this handsome fellow with the flesh-scorching gaze and fiery brown eyes. Suddenly, a message came blaring over the loudspeaker: "Sales of ice cream are suspended; herds of dairy cows have strayed into wild onion and garlic fields … our supply of milk has been tainted … we apologize …" I thanked my lucky stars for that last sale before shutdown. Which appetite did this soldier need satisfied? One that sated his stomach, or one that filled his heart? He has told me since, "I didn't taste any onion or garlic that day. I was too busy watching you!" And we watched over each other for the next 57 years … as Mr. and Mrs. Faynetta Rose Hollis is a reader from Franklin, Ind. Cancel You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. Your email address is now confirmed. You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. You can also by updating your account at anytime. You will be asked to register or log in. Cancel Offer Details Disclosures

Close In the next 24 hours, you will receive an email to confirm your subscription to receive emails related to AARP volunteering. Once you confirm that subscription, you will regularly receive communications related to AARP volunteering. In the meantime, please feel free to search for ways to make a difference in your community at Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again.