The LuLac Edition #5, 232, January 7th, 2025

 

PETER YARROW, JOE TIRPAK, THE AUTOGRAPH AND MONDALE’S BIG BUS

 Peter of Peter, Paul and Mary Fame

the autograph

and Joe Tirpak

It was Friday November the 2nnd, just three short days before the election of 1984 pitting incumbent President Ronald Reagan against former Vice President Walter Mondale. Back then, it was pretty much a foregone conclusion that Reagan would be re-elected but the late chairman of the Democratic party Joe Tirpak using all the juice he had persuaded the national Democrats to bring Mondale in for an event on Public Square.

I was for Mondale to fulfill a promise I made to the late Hubert Humphrey. During the Carter campaign of ’76, people were persuading HHH to take one more try and try to derail Carter. I called an old Humphrey contact from the ’73 campaign and inquired as to the former ’68 nominees’ intentions. He told me that Humphrey had no aspirations this time around but if Walter Mondale ever ran, give him the full support I had given HHH in ’68 and ’72.

At the time I was a staffer at The United Way of Wyoming Valley and took vacation days to work for Mondale. When Mondale was coming to town, me and Joe Sekusky a fellow softball player volunteered to do advance work. To be sure, we were lower tier, but it was exciting to be part of this big event. Our instructions were to report to the airport where we would be given credentials for a seat on the press bus. Having been on the Carter ’76 press bus I was not expecting entertainers either.

When I took my seat on the aisle, I nodded at the guy next to me and settled in. At first, I didn’t recognize him because he was very ordinary looking but seemed friendly. Toward the back of the bus, there was a woman in a very loud voice talking about arrival at the event, where was the next stop and thanking the Lord that this thing (the election) was going to be over in a few days. As she kept on talking, someone yelled, “Shut up Mary and sing a song!” At the point the guy next to me started to giggle and shake his head.  When I looked at him and then turned my head to see the woman, I had realized that this was Mary Travers of Peter, Paul and Mary. The tall guy was Paul. Where the hell was Peter I wondered? Then I realized the guy sitting next to me was Peter Yarrow.

“Are you……….??” And before I could get the rest out, he said, “yep”. I had been married two years earlier and knew that my spouse loved the trio. So I asked him for an autograph for her. He proceeded then to pull out a loose leaf tablet and sign. After asking her name, he then did an elaborate drawing.

I carefully put it away and said goodbye to him as the bus pulled into the Square and we got out. The event was supposed to start at 7 and it did with the trio and a plethora of Democratic luminaries speaking until 9pm. Three things I remember about that night, it was cold, Sebulsky and I were running our asses off since there were no cell phones and Mondale got on stage after 930pm.

On Saturday night I recounted the story to company at the house. We found the forty-year-old autograph and looked at he careful crafting of it. Three days later Peter Yarrow died. As I age, I have encountered many situations where you bring up a person and a story about them out of the blue. Mary Ann’s theory is that It is that person just cruising the universe waving goodbye.

It may not be theological doctrine but for me, it’s just plain perfect. Peter Yarrow, you might have lost the election but won M.A.’s heart.To this day it is one of her most treasured possessions.