The fact that he lived past his first days of life is a miracle, since he was born with a severe heart defect. We were told he could not survive without surgery, but, with it, he would have only a 50/50 chance of living. When he was two days old, he had successful open heart surgery. When Josh came home, we decided to treat him like a normal boy instead of an invalid. Today, we believe this paid off.

Although small for his age, Josh made up for it with his sense of humor and his charm. When he was old enough, he said he wanted to be a Scout like his big brother. It was when he became a Tiger Cub that his reputation started to grow. On his brother's Webelos campout, a Boy Scout Troop from our town camped next to us. Since shyness is not one of Josh's virtues, he went to visit and ended up spending most of his time with the Troop.

That Saturday night I heard someone call out, "Hey Yogi! Are you coming to our campfire?" I wondered who they were calling. While the Webelos were preparing supper, Josh came along with a big plate of food. He announced with a grin that he was eating with "Those guys over there". He also invited us to attend their campfire later that night.

At the campfire, we learned that Josh had become both a living legend and mascot of Troop 44. These older boys had taken a liking to the little kid who asked questions and had "volunteered" to be a judge for their cooking contest. They pronounced him "YOGI, our official mascot" and gave him all rights and privileges. When it was time for bed, I discovered the highlight of their cooking was the chocolate chip cookie contest. Josh-Yogi had cookies stuffed in every pocket.

Yogi's legend has continued over the years. "Hi, Yogi" is heard everywhere from Cub Scout functions to the National Jamboree. His family members are often identified as Yogi's parents or Yogi's brothers.

When Yogi was scheduled to undergo a second operation, his Scout friends took time to cheer him up. The surgeons couldn't believe that this boy, who wasn't supposed to live, had lived so much. His tan body showed all the typical scrapes and scars expected with active boys. This Star Scout, who had logged more camping time than a Marine, had hiked historic trails, hiked the White Mountains, and experienced many other adventures - including saving his younger brother from drowning. The doctors said, "This can't be the same kid we saw 12 years ago."