How Did I Get My Plate?

Well, the simple answer would be "from my grandfather". That concludes this post.

Yeah, right.

My grandfather, Edward Lee Tilton Jr., was a pretty amazing person. He was born in 1901 and died in 1993. He dropped out of school as a young man but went on to self teach himself. He was an electrician who worked in the WPA to build the New Orleans lakefront seawall. He also worked for Lykes Steamship company as a radio operator. He went on to be one of the best photographers in New Orleans and even had one of his photos on the cover of a LIFE magazine.

When he had his photo studio he had a guy apply for a job named Lee Harvey Oswald. Yep, that Lee Harvey. Oswald applied for a job just one week before he shot John F. Kennedy. My grandfather was interviewed extensively by the FBI and Secret Service after the assassination.

While a photographer he still found time to go to Vietnam during the war as a radio operator with the Merchant Marines. He was in his 60s! During his life he managed to travel around the world a dozen times. He even accompanied Admiral Richard Byrd on one of Antarctic expeditions. Because of his travels, he knew more about world history than anyone I have ever met.

Relevant to the plate, no one in the family can remember how it came to be in his possession. In fact, no one really remembers the plate at all. All I know is that when he died I somehow ended up with the plate.