A Memory of a Memorial Day Conversation

I hope you enjoy your Memorial Day weekend as well as Memorial Day itself. Instead of lecturing about how I wish more people would respect the holiday and what it stands for, I thought I’d  share a conversation I remember having with my dad that hopefully puts my thoughts into perspective.

I remember having a conversation with Dad, I guess I was was probably a senior in High School. (That would make it 1978 or so.) I asked him about his brother, Shorty. He smiled, took a deep breath and his eyes teared up all at the same time. Towards the end of our talk I remember him telling me about hearing that his kid brother had been killed in WWII. Everybody called my uncle, "Shorty". My Dad said that quite a while after hearing the news, he was able to track down some of his brothers shipmates. They were able to fill in some of the details of the attack killed Shorty and of the bomb that eventually trapped his brother in the ship.

My Dad and his parents never got to see him again or even visit his burial place. To this day, his body is still in that ship. He was crying and sharing things about how he felt and what he did for quite some time. He had never told anyone some of those things he told me that Spring day.

It wasn’t lost on me what a tremendous burden he had been carrying since 1943.

So today, these many years later,  just think how many others... fathers, sons, mothers, daughters, sisters, brothers, friends, teachers, relatives, etc... are carrying a burden just as my Dad had.

This weekend have fun...enjoy...kick back...but just take a minute to remember and say thank you. It would be great if you could let some of our younger folks know what Memorial Day is really all about. After all, without these heroes and their efforts we couldn't kick back and enjoy anything.

Also, if you see or know someone who has served this country...in any way...thank them. They did stuff you'll never know about or want to.

So thank you to all including my Uncle Shorty...

I will have special thoughts of my friend Swede whose efforts toward freedom were more important than anyone will ever know.

PEACE

    …..Gregg