Memorial
Day is a pretty special day.
My
father was very patriotic. He was the first young man from their community to
enlist after Pearl Harbor and was in the Pacific for 43 months. He was in the
Army Air Corps. That meant he was a little bit army and a little bit air force.
He never lost that keen spirit of patriotism and our family and friends have
agreed that he really was a part of what Tom Brokaw said was "The Greatest
Generation".
Even
at the end of his life, daddy always wanted to be sure that mother or I had put
the flag out - especially on a day like Memorial Day.
I
went to the World War II Memorial in Washington DC in 2005 and when I returned
home, daddy was really filled with questions. I remember that he said if he
ever got a chance to go, he was going.
So,
when he read about the Orange Park Rotary-sponsored trip for World War II
veterans, he wasted no time at all checking it out. His trip would be paid for.
He just needed to have a "chaperone".
My
son, Tray, who is daddy's #3 grandson, was all over that. He would love to go.
He has inherited a lot of that same patriotic spirit that was a big part of
daddy's life. Chad and Brad (grandsons #1 and 2 respectively) also share that
spirit and all three of them have spent time serving our country.
Daddy
was so excited as they planned their trip. He supposed he might be the oldest
person traveling (he wasn't) and was peeved as he waited for Tray to arrive for
the ride to the Orange Park High School. My mother and I rode over for the
pre-trip meeting and were there as they boarded the busses headed to JIA.When
they arrived in DC, they were surprised when Chad and Brad arrived. Daddy was
thrilled. All of his "soldier boys" were with him to honor him and
his comrades. It truly was a day that none of them would forget.
Tray
called me several times during the day to give me a report. He would start to
tell me something and get choked up. He would say, "I'll have to tell you
that in a minute, mom." It would be when they got home that night, daddy a
whipped puppy, but with a beaming smile, before Tray could tell me what he had
been trying to say all day.
"Here
granddaddy was in a wheel chair," he said. "And every time a band
would strike up that song - you know the one that features all the branches of
the service...when they got to granddaddy's part, he stood up."
I didn't see this happen and yet I know exactly how it must have been. I can just see him. I know about the effort involved and the importance of this experience. That was seven years ago. This is our sixth year celebrating Memorial Day without our patriotic patriarch. The flag is flying and we have no doubt about what daddy would do when he heard this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zudFEvTj9H0
I didn't see this happen and yet I know exactly how it must have been. I can just see him. I know about the effort involved and the importance of this experience. That was seven years ago. This is our sixth year celebrating Memorial Day without our patriotic patriarch. The flag is flying and we have no doubt about what daddy would do when he heard this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zudFEvTj9H0
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