Veterans Day 2013

this veterans day will be a bitter sweet day off for me.  normally i would work, but the wife and i get such little time together these days i decided to take it off.  the last year has seen the loss of 2 men who were very dear to me, my dad, and my uncle.

dad is at the top, as shown in his NAVY uniform during the Korean War.  the next picture is my uncle, probably in the  "tan and pinks" of the ARMY during WW2.  they weren't "great men" as defined by thomas carlyle, but they were  wonderful to me, and their families. 

dad was a bit acerbic at times, but i truly grew to appreciate him after i left home and joined the ARMY myself.  until you are out on your own, working to put a roof over other's heads and pay bills, worrying about kids health and grades, i don't think a man can honestly understand the pressure of being a dad.  the sunday mornings when he would return home after delivering papers most of the night, and wake me up to go fishing meant so much to me.  i think i must have been quite a bemusement to dad as he was SUCH a liberal, and i turned out to be SO conservative, despite his best efforts.  i really miss calling and heckling him over the the many screw ups of his buddies clinton, reid and pelosi, teddy swim meet, and the annointed one.  dad claimed i couldn't get under his skin, but he sure did get good at hanging up on me when i called to razz him about the great job the dems were doing.

my uncle was huge when i was a kid, with a deep gruff voice and cigars who was sorta scary.  outward appearance aside, he was one of the kindest, gentlest men i have ever known.  he grew up tough working with my grandfather on rental properties the family owned and collecting money from over due renters.  he was almost stabbed once doing this.  before and after the war he worked for one of the bell's stringing telephone lines, and based on that experience he rose to the rank of master sergeant in the ARMY's signal corps.  i could always stop by and see and see him and my aunt,  an ARMY nurse during the war, when i was a kid and get a soda and sandwich if i was out running around.  as i no longer live where i grew up,i was so glad i took the time out of a busy schedule to stop and visit with my uncle after dad's funeral, as he passed just 6 months later.

so today as the wife and i get a little us time, we will be remembering these 2 sons of the republic, and their service. we miss you everyday.