Happy, Happy, Happy: My Life and Legacy as the Duck Commander

humble as his right hand and soul mate. Believe me, there would be no Duck Commander legend without Miss Kay!
    What I respect most about my dad is that he allowed and continues to allow God to guide him. He offered himself to the Creator and humbly accepted a path that has now led to fame, recognition, and greatness, but has led mostly to glory to God and a life change for thousands of people. What I respect most about my mom is that she never gave up on him. Through her love for God and us boys, she led Dad to his relationship with God and changed all of our destinies. Their motive for Duck Commander has always been Kingdom first.
    From my perch as the oldest son, I have had the opportunity to see the longest and greatest impact Dad’s life change and legacy have had on our earthly family, our forever family, and the world we live in. I have also personally experienced his love and support throughout my days here on Earth, even when some of those days were dark and I didn’t want to listen to him or Mom. I have grown and flourished as a man and as a man of God because of the influence of my parents, and I am forever grateful for them.
    I thank my mom for her tenacity, long suffering, and close friendship. She taught me how to forgive and see potential goodness in people that others cannot see. She taught me that hope is one of God’s greatest virtues when things seem dark and difficult. I thank my dad for his guidance, commitment to God, and visionary faith. He saw what we couldn’t, and he has taught me to appreciate what can be done when others say it cannot be done. He taught me how to work hard and achieve your dreams. He taught me to appreciate God’s creation through a love of the outdoors and the simple beauty in the smallest things. From a smartweed stalk to a crawfish hill to a buttonwillow thicket, Dad has always seen the hand of God in the nature that surrounds us. He also taught me that people are worth loving because God made us to be loved and to share a message of love and redemption.
    My dad would follow his own advice and never tell you how great he is, but I don’t mind telling you at all.
A NOTE FROM JASE
    I’m the second son of Phil and Kay Robertson. Si (Phil’s youngest brother) named me on the riverbank. Si went to the river to tell Phil that Kay was having a baby. I’ve always heard that Phil’s response was something to the effect of, “What do you want me to do about it?” Si asked him, “What do you want to name him?” Phil replied, “Name him after you.” So I was given the nameJason Silas Robertson. Maybe that’s why Si and I love to argue so much. My dad called me “Jase” about half the time, and somewhere through the years the name stuck.
    I was five or six when I noticed a change in my dad’s life. I was probably eight when I realized this change was going to be permanent and for the better. Up until that time, my life was filled with a lot of fear. I remember seeing scary-looking people and a lot of fistfights, usually ending with the flashing lights of police cars. I just tried to stay out of the way and survive. This all seemed to culminate one night with my most vivid memory as a child. I remember being awakened in the middle of the night and having to move out with my mom and brothers at the direction of my dad.
    We moved to West Monroe, Louisiana, and it seemed like an eternity before I saw my dad again. It was a few months, and I remember my dad pulling up in a cool-looking Jeep. I could tell something had happened—he was a new creation.
    It was not until I was fourteen that I figured out what happened. I had gone to a Bible study and had gotten “stirred up” about this one called Jesus. I asked my dad about it, and he told me that’s the same message he’d heard. Not long after that conversation, Phil and I waded into the Ouachita River and he baptized me. I then realized why he was a new creation.
    The years we spent on the river were some of my fondestmemories. We commercial-fished together, hunted everything, and spent a lot of time around the table, eating what we caught and playing dominoes. I think what made it so special was that we were a reconciled family and brothers in our faith. Through this we became really good friends. He taught me how to blow a duck call and how to skin a catfish. Most importantly, he taught me how to be a godly man.
    I remember countless gospel studies with all kinds of people and lots of river baptisms. I learned