By Glenn Dromgoole

I’ve written about how much I like fried chicken, especially chicken legs served at dinner on the grounds at church. But the other day I was thinking about the time I met Colonel Sanders, the father of the Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise.

I was 22 and serving my stint on active duty as an Army Reservist. I was sent to Fort Knox, Kentucky, for basic and advanced training. One weekend I had earned a weekend pass and was flying home to Texas. In the Louisville airport I saw a very familiar face.

And a very familiar suit. Colonel Sanders was dressed just the way he looked in the photos depicting his restaurant chain – double-breasted white suit, with black string tie. Of course, his face was familiar, too – white hair, white mustache, white goatee.

He was walking briskly through the airport. I was dressed in my Army uniform, just a private. I caught up with him and introduced myself and told him I really liked his fried chicken. Back then, they only served one type of fried chicken – what is now called the “original” style.

In fact, while we were in Fort Knox, a group of us went to Louisville one weekend, and I insisted that we eat at a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant there. It seemed the natural thing to do since we were actually in Kentucky. The other guys, I don’t think, had ever had Kentucky Fried Chicken, but I was a big fan. As a recall, I ordered my own seven-piece box. Well, I was hungry after eating Army food.

Anyway, Colonel Sanders shook my hand and asked where I was from. He thanked me for eating his chicken and for my service and was on his way.

Now that I think about it, I probably hoped he would give me a coupon for some free chicken, but he didn’t.

I still eat the original recipe KFC from time to time. I don’t think it’s quite as good as it was when he was personally promoting his recipe, but it still bears his name. And I can tell whoever I’m with that, yes, I once shook hands with Colonel Sanders.

He died in 1980 at age 90, so he would have been about 75 or 76 when I met him. He seemed like a very old man at the time. I’m older now than he was then.

Abilene author Glenn Dromgoole hosts a website devoted to civility, not fried chicken – MoreCivilityPlease.com.