Sigmund
Freud stated, “I cannot think of any need in childhood
as
strong as the need for a father's protection.”
“My
father taught me that the only way you can make good at anything
is
to practise...and then practise some more!” (Peter Rose)
Mark
Hoppus commented, “Mom's dad was in the army...
stormed
the beaches at Normandy...fought through French hedgerows...
the
Battle of the Ardennes, the Battle of the Bulge...
and
liberated concentration camps at the end of the war.”
My
Father Loves Me!
Personally written by an American WWII Veteran
who at age 94, passed away last October.
“After
finishing my Basic Training at Indiantown
Gap, PA,
and having settled into my new Quarters with the 301st
Port Co., an event took place that at the time was very uplifting for
my morale. My father who had gone to work on the West Coast for
Kaiser Corp. constructing Liberty Ships for the Merchant Mariners,
dropped in for a visit when his train stopped in Harrisburg, PA. He
left after having lunch in our mess hall but regretted being unable
to stay for dinner because he was anxious to be on his way home to
my Mother and 4 children.
“Many
years later, waking from a Dream, I walked into my kitchen at four
A.M., sat down in my underwear at the kitchen table and
composed...”My
Father Loves Me!”
“On
Feb. 14Th,
1995, I had insight that was quite remarkable to me...that after 52
years, I realized that My
Father Loved Me...Very Much!
It was the afternoon of October 1943...I was in the Army, stationed
in Indiantown Gap, PA...An Orderly came to tell me that my Father was
on the Base and the Orderly had ben instructed to bring me to
Battalion Headquarters in his Jeep, because civilians had to be
detained for security reasons until a uniformed escort could be
provided to accompany and permit civilians on the base. It was
explained to me that the visitor was in the company of Master
Sergeant Charles Hart awaiting my arrival at the Sergeant's office.
“During
the ride, I had the most agonizing thoughts, trying to understand the
reason for this unexpected and unusual circumstance of allowing
personal visitors who were only permitted on weekends for the
enlisted men...but the ride was short and when we arrived, we were
told that the First Sergeant had taken my Father to the Mess Hall;
from where I stood, I could see the enlisted men's Chow Line 200 feet
away...and outstanding was the dark blue outfit among the olive drab
in the line, restlessly waiting. The brown fedora and the blue
figure's posture identified this person as my Pop...and as I ran
toward him...he turned to see where the shouting was coming from and
saw me running...he left the line and came in my direction. When we
met, there was a very awkward moment of no embrace, no hugging or
kissing...just some back slapping and hand shaking. And I remember
that wonderful smile on his face announcing to me that he was not a
bearer of bad news.
“The
thing of it is, that for 50 years until tonight, I didn't make any
sense out of the look in his eyes. They saw me with sparkling
admiration and good humor, tearful pride and concern, a careful
appraisal from head to toe and with what I understand now...as Much
Love: The kind of Love I hope my children can see and apprise, when
they notice me looking at them. Now, the kind of look I had seen in
my Mother's eyes many times, knowing what that admiration was all
about but strangely, I never equated that thought with my Dad.
Evidently, we do get Wise as we Age.
“I
still have the hand-scripted page from 1995.
I share this with you now, because I was 21 years of age then without
the awareness of all that was going on around me....occupied with my
own trials and tribulations. I knew innately that my father loved me,
but the weird dream gave me the intellectual wisdom of his feeling
toward me.
Love your families and don't expect anything in return for your love.
One day, it will all come back to you in triplicate.”
(The foregoing was sent to me Thursday, June 7, 2012)
Recognized
as a
Normandy D. Day Vet,
he was on a supply ship from England at H Hour on Normandy & Utah
Beach.
He
developed a niche for writing about several wartime experiences which
were posted online and deservedly earned him the title of Oldest
Military Blogger.
A
Father's Regret
In“The Nightingale” the author writes a heart-rendering novel
set in France, 1939 which revolves around a family who struggles to combat the throes of
WWII.
As a Father and Grandfather, who near the war's end, and is dying,
he writes a letter to his 2 daughters (Vianne and Isabel) with
personal regrets.
What I do now, I do without misgivings. My regret is not for my
death, but for my life. I am sorry I was no father to you. I could
make excuses ~ I was ruined by the war...I drank too much...I
couldn't go on without your maman...but none of that matters.
Isabel: I remember the first time you ran away to be with me.
You made it all the way to Paris on your own. Everything about you
said, “Love me!” which I ignored. When I saw you on that train
platform needing me, I turned away. How could I not see that you and
Vianne were a gift...had I only reached out! Forgive me, my
daughters, for all of it...and I know that as I say 'good-bye' I
loved you both with all my damaged heart.
Isabel closed her eyes and lay back into the pillows.
All her life she'd waited for those words ~ his love ~ and now all
she felt was loss.
They hadn't loved each other enough in the time they had,
and then time ran out.
He
continued, “Hold
Sophie and Antoine and your new baby close, Vianne.
Love is such a slippery thing.
This novel is a 'page-turner' telling of persecutions, capture of
Jews, severing apart families, food lines with little or no available
foods...and dreadful war atrocities. It is a 'must novel' to read!
The
Art of the Deal
An
elderly couple return to a Mercedes dealership where the salesman
has just sold the car in which they were interested, to a beautiful,
leggy busty blonde. “I
thought you said you would hold that car till we raised $75,000
asking price,” said
the man. “Yet,
I just heard you closed the deal for $65,000 to that lovely young
lady there. You insisted there could be no discount on this model.”
“Well,
what can I tell you? She had the ready cash and, just look at
her...
how
could I resist?” replied
the grinning salesman.
Just
then, the young woman approached the aged couple and gave them the
keys. “There
you go,”
she said. “I
told you I would get the dope to reduce it. See you later, Grandpa!”
(The
philosophy here? Don't
mess with the elderly!)
Written by Merle Baird-Kerr...May 2, 2017
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