Daddy's Birthday (1920 - 1986)

Today would have been my Daddy's 88th birthday.  He left this earth way too early, 22 years ago this coming December.  He was a fine man;  handsome, kind and smart.  He took on any challenge that came his way.  He taught me to step to the front whenever there was something new to be learned.  This is what he did through life and it served him well.  He was well respected by all who knew him; family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers.  His one fault was believing that his unhealthy habit (smoking) would affect only him.  He was wrong.  His early death left a hole in our family that has never healed.  

I have thought of him often during these Olympic Games.  During World War II he was a Marine fighting on the Islands of the South China Sea.  He did get to visit the mainland of China and wanted so much to return there someday.  

Here's a story from his WWII days.  He was wounded and while recovering he manufactured a refrigeration unit to operate an ice cream maker that he also made.  Obviously, there was no ice available.  The Naval base was enjoying the ice cream immensely and his talents were needed to keep the fragile refrigeration unit running.  It was time for him to be shipped out and the paper work kept "getting lost".   Finally he went to the General, Commandant, Admiral or whomever and found out they wanted him to stay for the continued ice cream production.  He informed them that he could make it inoperable.  He got his papers the next day!