As with most little girls, my dad has always been my hero. Here's a little of what comes to mind when I think of my father... first he was a young man, many years before even thoughts of me twinkled anywhere.
My father was a cowboy who would tell me tales of his horse and how the horse would work with him. A cowboy's horse is an asset like another set of arms or legs.
My father was/is a U.S. Marine, and being a cowboy and Marine I always thought of my dad whenever I saw John Wayne movies.
Here he is with the
VMSB 343 - Marine Scout-Bomber Squadrons. He's in the back row, right of center.
Another hat that daddy wore was that of a singer. One of the family's favorite
pastimes was to get together and sing, and
Ohhh the harmony was glorious. Nothing will bring tears to my eyes quicker, or joy to my heart, than to hear, or even think about my dad and his brothers singing. Dad rarely went to a gathering without bringing his guitar along.
When I was small my dad was the biggest, tallest, strongest man anywhere.
Dad could do ANYTHING. He 'helped' us make wooden
rubberband guns and sailboats...
...and he built heavy duty
swingsets for us. This
swingset was actually used to pull engines before it held swings, and it stood in my parents backyard for many years.
The years have flown by, he's not as tall or strong as used to be, but my dad still and always will be MY HERO!
HAPPY FATHER'S DAY, DAD!
Last night I went into Wichita and joined my brother's family for a Father's Day dinner with dad. Below he's sitting next to my Aunt (mom's sister) reading Father's Day cards while waiting for our table.
My brother and his granddaughter...
...one of my grandsons in the middle and my brother's two grandsons, wife and my mom.
The next two shots are two of my grandsons and their bottles of
Sarsaparilla...
...they thought that was some pretty good stuff.
After a filling meal and by the light of a beautiful evening moon...
...I bid my dad Goodnight!
I Love You, DAD!
HAPPY TRAILS!!!
Dad was one of the lucky ones that came home all in one piece.
Here he is with the VMSB 343 - Marine Scout-Bomber Squadrons. He's in the back row, right of center. Some of the men he served with weren't so lucky, they returned home in wooden boxes.
Mom and I went to the cemetery the other day to put flowers on dad's grave. There was a marker and a flag already there in memory of dad's service to his country.
Many of those buried around him had also served.
As a matter of fact, the whole cemetery was a sea of waving flags...
...it was quite a sight to see all those little flags flapping in the wind.
To all those that served and especially to all those that gave their lives...
