Usually there is a candle on the table I work at with my easel. I was closing up the other night and had turned off the lights and was walking away when I noticed I hadn’t blown it out. I walked back and put my head down to do it and saw my dad’s flag in its case about 10 feet behind it on the wall.
Took a few moments to think about him.
After I smiled, picked up the camera from the coffee table that was acting as a studio spot and took this shot before heading to bed.
My father would have been 100 today. I have 7 pictures of him above my desk that I’m looking at. I’m trying to learn more about him, from some mementos my mom kept of his life and service. I wish I knew the man much better.
I was young when he passed and the last few years of his life were difficult with health. I don’t know if I’m like him or different. My mom said that I had some of his traits. I do know I’ve missed him all my life. It’s difficult, even to this day, to open a box of his things.
I put off a visit this past weekend, it was pretty sloppy outside so I’ll go this coming weekend.
This picture below is from him on Operation Deep Freeze with the US Navy in the 1955-56 expedition to Antarctica. I believe his role with the medical wing. I know he had his name on some research papers written on that mission and the cold effects on people and evaluating the gear to combat it.
He enlisted in the Navy several months before the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the start of WWII. He was on a Destroyer in the Pacific in the early 40s. He was in war in Korea but I have found few details of that so far. He was medically discharged from the service after a few decades and that is what my mom said killed him because he loved it so.
So Happy Birthday Dad. I’m sorry you had so few to celebrate.