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Happy Birthday across the Veil Daddy
Today would have been my dad's 92nd birthday. He's already long since gone now. He died 10 days after his 78th birthday. Hard to believe it's been almost 14 years now. I hope Roger is hanging out with him now. Dad served in Munich during the Korean War. His platoon had been slated to go to Korea as well, but at the last minute a runner came aboard their ship with new orders and they all went to Germany instead. I told him once that I felt lucky that he'd gone to Germany instead of Korea because otherwise, I might not have had the opportunity to have him as a father. He told me that it wasn't that lucky as the guys in Germany during the restoration didn't get promoted as fast as the guys fighting in Korea, and the lower officers and enlisted men ended up doing more of the higher officers' work. Dad was enlisted, but he was the one doing all of the Lieutenant's actual work, including scheduling teams and such things, because the Lieutenant couldn't do it competently apparently. I still consider it lucky in my case, and I'm sure my brother would have agreed with me. I couldn't have asked for a better pair of parents.
He and Mom kept up a correspondence the whole time he was away, during which they came to an understanding that when he returned from his tour of duty, they would marry, which they did and were married for nearly 55 years. After Dad passed through the veil, mom compiled all their letters that she could find and gave copies to both of us kids. They are very sweet. When Roger passed through, Lexxie kept his copy of those letters. I hadn't known that she didn't get a copy. Somehow I thought she had. Mom told her she could make her a copy of her own, because Roger's copy was 14 years old, but she wanted Roger's copy, and honestly it was pristine. He took very good care of it.
Dad retired from Kroger as a store manager, and then went back to school and started a whole different career, which he also retired from. So when they both retired, Mom and Dad each had 2 full retirements saved, as well as their IRA's, so they were able to travel and have a vacation home in Arizona which they enjoyed a lot until Dad got sick. They both had such an amazing work ethic, and lived frugally so they could save for the future, and still managed to plan fun vacations and and weekend camping trips for us. My brother wrote the most beautiful eulogy for our Dad and he talked about the work ethic we learned, and the vacations, and the camping trips we went on, and hunting with Dad (I didn't get to do that, but Roger continued to be and avid hunter the rest of his life.
I miss that old man. 14 years later, I still hear him in my head when I'm weighing a decision, or see him driving by in a car or a pickup truck and have to do a double take. Lol. Now, I see my brother sometimes too. I hope he and Dad are hanging out together right now, remembering the good times. I wish Dad had lived long enough to meet Jameson.
Happy Birthday, Dad
He and Mom kept up a correspondence the whole time he was away, during which they came to an understanding that when he returned from his tour of duty, they would marry, which they did and were married for nearly 55 years. After Dad passed through the veil, mom compiled all their letters that she could find and gave copies to both of us kids. They are very sweet. When Roger passed through, Lexxie kept his copy of those letters. I hadn't known that she didn't get a copy. Somehow I thought she had. Mom told her she could make her a copy of her own, because Roger's copy was 14 years old, but she wanted Roger's copy, and honestly it was pristine. He took very good care of it.
Dad retired from Kroger as a store manager, and then went back to school and started a whole different career, which he also retired from. So when they both retired, Mom and Dad each had 2 full retirements saved, as well as their IRA's, so they were able to travel and have a vacation home in Arizona which they enjoyed a lot until Dad got sick. They both had such an amazing work ethic, and lived frugally so they could save for the future, and still managed to plan fun vacations and and weekend camping trips for us. My brother wrote the most beautiful eulogy for our Dad and he talked about the work ethic we learned, and the vacations, and the camping trips we went on, and hunting with Dad (I didn't get to do that, but Roger continued to be and avid hunter the rest of his life.
I miss that old man. 14 years later, I still hear him in my head when I'm weighing a decision, or see him driving by in a car or a pickup truck and have to do a double take. Lol. Now, I see my brother sometimes too. I hope he and Dad are hanging out together right now, remembering the good times. I wish Dad had lived long enough to meet Jameson.
Happy Birthday, Dad