Great Men I Have Known

Eloquent. Your words brought close my own family, my heroes, the loving incidents that i know, without even conscious thinking, carry me through the bad times and shape my life. I feel so sorry for those folks who haven't been so fortunate and pity for those who become estranged from the members of there family, their blood. Its never one way Flag. I know you are the same kind of rock to your contemporaries as they to you, and the same kind of inspiration to the young folks coming after. I have to quit and go blow my nose.

Remember and celebrate the good things about the ones you love and the ones who love you.

I had a very rough time with my father for most of my life, but we've reconciled in the last couple of years. And, I'm sorry I was so angry with him for so many years after he had moved beyond the problems that caused my pain. I'm much happier now...and we have a great relationship...but it took a near death experience to make that happen.

If people listen to the words you've written and take them to heart, it won't require such pain to heal wounds and allow you to appreciate the good in folks.

You are exactly right. And it needs to be said now, because once they're gone, you'll never get another chance.

I'm freshly out of Grandfathers. My Mom's dad died suddenly and unexpectedly three years ago. He went into the hospital for routine heart surgery (if there is such a thing), and never came out... at least not as I remembered him.

I never got a chance to tell him how much he shaped my life because I thought I had plenty of time. I didn't.

I never got to tell him how much "shop day" meant to me when I was a kid and that he was the first one to let me use power tools to build a birdhouse...and how much it meant to me to be treated as an adult at the ripe old age of 8.

This was a man that fought in every major battle in the Pacific during WWII, up to and including the occupation of mainland Japan. He never liked to talk about it, for obvious reasons, but I could tell it was pretty bad. I never thanked him for that either.. perhaps because I was too selfish at the time to realize that I should.

I could go on and on about my Dad and Uncles, etc...

But well done, my friend. You've inspired me to take the time to thank everyone who has made me the man I am today.

Very moving tributes to those men. I'm sure they're looking down in pride at you, and gratitude for being remembered so.

Ok, FLagwaver, tomorrow I expect an essay on the important women in your life.....fair is fair.

Now on to more serious thoughts. Your grandfather would indeed be very proud of you. I am practically a "blog addict" and must say your English is among the best I've read. Excellent grammar, good sentence structure and even correct use of "commas" (which is where most people fall). Just one little correction in this essay. "he's younger than ME" should be "I". Just continue the sentence, as my old English teacher would say....."he's younger than me/I am young" Easy.

Lovely essay....comes right from the heart.

Don't know what flagwaver is going to do, but i'd like to let you know that my great aunt Emelie has been my character model since i got to know her when she was in her 90's and i was in my 20's. She had outlived her children, her income was $60 a month from some obscure govt program for indigents over 80 years old. She was living with her neice, my aunt, who family agreed was the most difficult person to be around they'd ever met. Emelie taught me so much, all by example. She died over 40 years ago, and at every family reunion, she is the one all we old timers talk about. May God keep her gently safe until he needs her again.

She needs.....

It may not be tomorrow, but it will be soon! I would not dare honor the men in my life without doing the same for the women. They have had as much influenece on me as anyone, starting with my mother and going to my daughter. Don't worry, they will get their due...in due time!

And thanks for the grammar correction...my old professor would have been all over that as well!