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Please click on "On My Father's Wings" in my song list sung by The Corrs who are a Celtic folk rock group from Dundalk, Ireland...Maybe listen to the songs lyrics first, think about your father and then after that, read my post.
(The irish song is a tribute to my father who was part Irish and so am I, go Irish!)
Father’s Day!
It’s always one of my favorite celebrated days. I am a member of the father brigade. I always wanted to be a dad. I was naive when I daydreamed about fatherhood as a kid. I didn’t know just how much emotional input is required, the total rebirth of your personality traits, the death of your youngster coolness, and the tremendous capacity of the responsibility to the life you create. At some point in my parental career, I began to examine the trueness of the word “parent”. My own two parents suddenly came into focus and I realized that they weren’t these demagogues or fearless leaders. They were both kids at one time who grew up, fell in love, got married, and took on the responsibility of parenthood as I have done. They were just people. They had fears. They had inadequacies. They had no training at raising kids. They had faults. I remember being a teen and carefully examining their faults and persecuting them for there trespasses against me. Having my own children taught me something. Forgive the parents for their faults and honor them for giving me the best they could give given the tools they had inherited or had at hand. Yes it could have been better but it could have been worse too. I am thankful.
So this brings this post to Father’s Day. I had an amazing dad. I would never in a million years trade him for another. My dad left this wonderful earth nineteen years ago. I still love him to this day. When 911 occurred there was an immense amount of heroes that America honored. Through all these tributes I could think of no one but my father. I had been blessed with a hero in my presence but I never knew the meaning until 911 occurred.
My father attended the Naval Academy and graduated in 1939. The Nazi’s were in the process of crushing Europe at the time and they were headed for world domination. After graduation dad was sent to one of the big battleships, the USS West Virginia. Please check out http://www.usswestvirginia.com/. The morning of December 7, 1941 while the West Virginia was moored in Pearl Harbor, Oahu the Japanese unleashed there master plan to sink the American naval fleet at Pearl Harbor. The West Virginia was torpedoed and bombed. She sank and settled on the harbor floor, on fire with water 2 feet or more water above the main deck. My father was at the ship that morning and witnessed the death of the ship’s captain, several crew members, and he could do nothing for the burning ship. Fortunately my dad was not seriously injured but it did scar his memory forever. He spoke very little of the attack or the terrible days that followed the attack.
Several years later during the Korean conflict my dad became the captain of his own Navy ship, the USS Stephen Potter, a Destroyer of the Fletcher Class for those that know that info. He gallantly took the ship and his crew into communist infested waters and successfully bombed several enemy ammunition dumps which allowed US land based troops to move into the front lines with an advantage. The ship escaped with no harm to the ship or crew. The Navy gave him the Bronze Star for his actions.
I was lucky to get a really good dad. Amongst all the gold stars and stripes he wore on his uniform, he was always just dad to me. Everyone liked him. He was smart. He was well educated. He was a lifetime naval officer. He was funny. He was dashing and charming. He was kind and loyal. He was a hard worker. He was a patriot and a true American. He was doer. He was a fisherman, a golfer, and loved fine cars. He was a good cook. He loved to watch television. He loved his workshop. He could fix anything. He loved my mother. He loved family. He loved his kids. He loved his daughter-in-laws. He loved his grand kids. He loved the animals. He grew awesome tomatoes. He was a great swimmer.
But above all, he was my dad. He gave me a great childhood and a great adulthood. I absolutely love my dad and even though he’s gone I think about him everyday and I am thankful he was chosen to be my dad.
I miss you Dad!
Fathers I would like to pay tribute to:
My uncles, Bob (Navy hero WWII), Hubert, Richard (Army hero WWII), & Bill (Navy hero WWII)
My brother, Tom
My wife's father, Frank
My friends dad, Alex Sr.; truly a second dad and another naval hero (WWII)
