COUNTRY, COMMUNITY & FAMILY

Dear Dad,

You left us all too soon. Occasionally, it seems like only yesterday. Then, reality strikes! In fact, we were five months into the new millennium. It will be twenty-two years in May.

Of course, there have been new additions to our family that we all wish you could have met. If you have received my telepathic thoughts, you already know what is happening here. Truly, we miss you more than words can express. Admittedly, this letter is overdue.

Recently, while reading Vocal's Hometown Heroes Challenge, my first thoughts were of you. It's been said that you should go with your first idea or notion. Since Vocal's Hometown Heroes Challenge is drawing near, my mission is to write a letter addressed to my hero persons or person that made a positive impact on my life.

Well, dad! That would be you. Did you know that you are a hero? Yes, you are an American hometown hero. "How?" you might ask? By serving in the Army during World War II, tirelessly improving our community as a founding member of the Walker Township Water Association and the Walker Township Fire Company, on top of all that, you were our family's hero.

Ironically, before you left and on my last visit to Pennsylvania, you claimed that mom was stubborn. Trying to hide my amusement, you both were stubborn. As a type-A personality, you displayed most if not all of the traits; such as; goal-oriented, ambitious, multi-tasking, aggressive, risk-taking, impatient, assertive, stubborn, dominant, irritable, and a sense of urgency. Unsurprisingly, some of those same traits can be seen in me. Are you surprised? You shouldn't be. You definitely had an influence and an impact on me.

Indeed, a hero provides for his family, and sometimes, a hero builds his family a new home. In 1959, that's exactly what you did. When faced with difficult issues, your foul language was ignored. Because of your tenacity, you skillfully built our home. Completing all the work with the exception of the plastering, as you know, you mixed the plaster for the vendor/contractor.

Besides providing for our family with all of our needs and sometimes our wants, if anything broke, you were right there to fix it. From televisions to vacuum cleaners and more, you keep things humming.

Lovingly, you journeyed to Hawaii, Florida, Mississippi, and Texas. With the exception of Alaska, where ever the Air Force stationed us, you traveled so many miles to come to see us. When you visited either me or my siblings, you always managed to repair anything and everything that needed fixing around the house.

When telling others about your trips, no one believes me that you drove from Pennsylvania to Del Rio, Texas in twenty-six hours straight. Allowing my brother to help drive, you did most of the driving yourself.

Before Texas, do you recall all the static on the phone when you would call us? If it wasn't static, it was the echo chamber? Yet, it never stopped you from calling. While you expressed a desire to come to Alaska, you knew traveling the Alaskan Highway wasn't in the cards.

Indeed, a hero improves his community. With your ambition, goal-oriented, and risk-taking, you were a community hero as a founder of the Walker Township Water Organization and the Walker Township Fire Company. You knew that access to running water and that a volunteer fire company was vital for our community.

As a volunteer, you diligently worked on numerous fundraising projects for the fire company. During the holidays, you organized the Christmas candy sales. Then! During the Summer, you would be focused on the annual Carnival. Nothing interfered with the three days set aside for the Walker Township Fire Company Carnival. Besides the candy sales and carnival, there were other fundraising events.

Raising the funds for the equipment and fire trucks, your goal was to improve the Walker Township Fire Company. Contributing your time to the Ways & Means Committee and as a founder of the community organizations, improving our community, you were a hero.

Recently, a relative snapped some pictures at the Walker Township Fire Company building that we referred to as the fire hall. Inside the fire hall on the wall display, there was a plaque. Did you know that you were honored with a plaque? With forty-four years of service, there is a plaque in your HONOR that is displayed at the Fire Hall!

Indeed, people who serve our country are heroes. You served in the Army during World War II in the Pacific. Listening to your war stories, we learned what a true hero you were. Hanging on to your every word, your stories made us proud. Of late, wishing that those stories would have been written down, or at least, videotapes made of your war remembrances.

If there had been videotapes, we could play it over and over again listening to the long versions of your war stories. Besides your stories, we could hear your many sayings. "If you give them an inch, they'll take a mile," was one of those sayings and my favorite expressions that you often used.

Obviously, snippets come to my mind from those war stories. While you were detailed to the Army field communications, you experienced extremely close encounters with the enemy. Recalling your story about carrying wounded soldiers on your back for miles, your telling made a deep impression on my young heart. In another snippet, you called them, "Midnight requisitions!" Sharing tales of your midnight requisition missions, you did what you had to do.

By googling, I found information on your Army division. It was only a click away. All the Army's Pacific divisions were listed which included the 25th division. According to that information, you were in Campaigns at Guadalcanal August 1942-February 1943, Northern Solomons February 1943 - November 1944, and Luzon December 1944 - July 1945.

Because of your service in the Pacific, a remembrance from the war returned with you. Having lifelong issues of Tropical ulcers commonly called jungle rot which is chronic ulceration on the skin, both of your hands were affected. Knowing how painful your skin condition was, it was upsetting that the doctors weren't able to cure it. Being the hero that you are, you didn't complain.

Hopefully, you concur with me. You are my hero. Until we meet again, you will live forever in my heart.

Love,

Your eldest daughter

P.S. From what I've read, my writing can be helpful for Type-A personalities.



Writer's notes: Thank you for reading. You are appreciated. This letter is submitted to Vocal media's Hometown Heroes Challenge.

Dedicated to my children and grandchildren