My Favorite Veteran

He has always been one of my heroes. Although I was only 10 when he died, I have a lot of memories of Pa. Special memories that seem more vivid than so many others from childhood.

I remember Ma & Pa’s house and the carport with white metal poles where Pa’s car sat. My brother and I would swing around those poles when we were little. I remember the smell of that car as I would jump in the front seat (yep different times) and ride with Pa to the store to spend my “two dodders”… All I ever wanted was peppermint certs.

I remember walking with him (and sometimes with Ma and Mama) to “the end of the world.” It was really just the backside of the big warehouse behind their house…. a warehouse that has been replaced twice since that time. First it was a Kmart. Now it’s The Grand Theater. How in the world has it been that long ago?

But most of all, I remember sitting in the front room of their house with Pa. All I wanted to do was to sit with him and spend time with him. I miss those days.

He was definitely a hero to me as a little girl… even before I was old enough to understand the complexity of his heroism. In his lifetime, he was a hero to so many. Pa fought to protect our freedom… the freedom that we all love to claim as citizens of the USA. But most of us aren’t willing to go on the front lines for it. Pa served in World War II, participating in and witnessing things that haunted him for the rest of his life. He didn’t talk much, from what I can remember. But when he did speak, I listened.