Jay, we share the sadness you feel over losing your dad. He will always be remembered for his kindness, humorous wit and love of life. Thanks for your personal refections on a small part of his life's many contributions in his obituary. I hope we can catch up at his memorial in July. Our love and prayers are with you and your family.
Thank you for your kind words about your dad. You brought to light so many memories of my parents who have also passed. Many years ago when we still used film for our cameras. We were at the grand canyons with our daughter celebrating her high school graduation, and Kodak had a photo tips specialist there giving tips for the best pictures. One comment that forever stuck was “your memory is the best picture you will ever take, find a way to cherish it” , so then always take your time and appreciate what you see before you lift the camera. That advice has stuck nicely like honey on a fresh warm biscuit at breakfast, starting each day with the hope of coming joy. I chose to let it become a life lesson. I also had parents whose life lived have given me the best of memories and ever so grateful for their love and encouragement.
My great grandfather is buried in a church cemetery honoring the civil war vets in Sharpsburg Md. He was wounded in the neck during the Battle of the Sunken Road..Antietam. He was a farmer who picked up his rifle and joined the Union to protect his property. Pictures of that battle show his farm and the silo above the bridge. This was an area with many Quaker and Mennonite families. The Dunker church in those photos was attended by many relatives. Much of the national park was granted by cousins of my grandmothers family. Grandma married a man whose father was a German navy vet emigrated to Maryland and operated a lock on the C&O canal east of Hagerstown. The house still stands and I have taken our kids to see it. Grandad served in France WWI, we have pictures of him with some of grandma’s cousins in the same unit.
Mom was a brilliant student who went to Johns Hopkins nursing school as a teenager on the military’s dime in return for serving 18 months as a nurse. Her first duty was the Navaho nation on the north rim of the canyons, she did learn to speak Navaho. Then her next was the Cherokee nation in SC. This was one of the better things our nation did in WWII to encourage enlistment. The trip to canyons with our daughter included time in the Hopi and Navaho nation to help her connect with a part of her family heritage. When her daughter graduated high school, we also took her cross country to the canyons to connect with her family heritage. 4 generations connecting with the best of our values that built our nation. Service, charity, and respect.
My brother-in-law served in Desert Storm and a few of his fellow vets we shared picnics with and their kids soccer matches were killed in action. Taking time to remember their sacrifices are a necessary part of continuing freedom.
May God richly bless those families who lost those in service. May we always be thankful to them.
Thanks so much for applying your wonderful writing talent to sharing this story. It helps you understand a little better what American freedom really costs us. I'm proud to beat namesake of Uncle Sam!
Thanks for sharing this story, Jay. These stories are what Memorial Day is all about.
My condolences. Thanks for writing about Sam's Service. Wonderfully written. God Bless You and Yours Jay.
Jay, we share the sadness you feel over losing your dad. He will always be remembered for his kindness, humorous wit and love of life. Thanks for your personal refections on a small part of his life's many contributions in his obituary. I hope we can catch up at his memorial in July. Our love and prayers are with you and your family.
Thank you for your kind words about your dad. You brought to light so many memories of my parents who have also passed. Many years ago when we still used film for our cameras. We were at the grand canyons with our daughter celebrating her high school graduation, and Kodak had a photo tips specialist there giving tips for the best pictures. One comment that forever stuck was “your memory is the best picture you will ever take, find a way to cherish it” , so then always take your time and appreciate what you see before you lift the camera. That advice has stuck nicely like honey on a fresh warm biscuit at breakfast, starting each day with the hope of coming joy. I chose to let it become a life lesson. I also had parents whose life lived have given me the best of memories and ever so grateful for their love and encouragement.
My great grandfather is buried in a church cemetery honoring the civil war vets in Sharpsburg Md. He was wounded in the neck during the Battle of the Sunken Road..Antietam. He was a farmer who picked up his rifle and joined the Union to protect his property. Pictures of that battle show his farm and the silo above the bridge. This was an area with many Quaker and Mennonite families. The Dunker church in those photos was attended by many relatives. Much of the national park was granted by cousins of my grandmothers family. Grandma married a man whose father was a German navy vet emigrated to Maryland and operated a lock on the C&O canal east of Hagerstown. The house still stands and I have taken our kids to see it. Grandad served in France WWI, we have pictures of him with some of grandma’s cousins in the same unit.
Mom was a brilliant student who went to Johns Hopkins nursing school as a teenager on the military’s dime in return for serving 18 months as a nurse. Her first duty was the Navaho nation on the north rim of the canyons, she did learn to speak Navaho. Then her next was the Cherokee nation in SC. This was one of the better things our nation did in WWII to encourage enlistment. The trip to canyons with our daughter included time in the Hopi and Navaho nation to help her connect with a part of her family heritage. When her daughter graduated high school, we also took her cross country to the canyons to connect with her family heritage. 4 generations connecting with the best of our values that built our nation. Service, charity, and respect.
My brother-in-law served in Desert Storm and a few of his fellow vets we shared picnics with and their kids soccer matches were killed in action. Taking time to remember their sacrifices are a necessary part of continuing freedom.
May God richly bless those families who lost those in service. May we always be thankful to them.
Storytelling at its finest with an honorable namesake! It doesn’t get any better! Thanks for letting us in on your family’s past. ❤️💙
Jay,
Thanks so much for applying your wonderful writing talent to sharing this story. It helps you understand a little better what American freedom really costs us. I'm proud to beat namesake of Uncle Sam!