Dad taught me well!
As a teen, I gained possession of a 48-star American flag that was as big as a wall in my bedroom. My father was at Vietnam so I proudly put it up, saluted it, and said the pledge every day for my dad's sake. It stayed there until..... |
| Hong Kong '47 |
At age 16 he lied about his age in order to join the Army with his older brother Uncle Jimmy in 1942. They found him out at boot camp but a year later he enlisted again and made the Navy his career.
I was always fascinated and proud of his chest of medals including the Navy Cross. After those 32 years of traveling the Seven Seas, WWII, Korea, and many other assignments he came home from Vietnam. I was 15 and spent the entire day in the front yard in order to be the first to welcome him home. Back then, there was little or no fanfare for returning military forces.
When he saw the flag covering the wall in my bedroom, he immediately stopped in his tracks. Without harsh words but rather with solemnity, he helped me take it down with care. He carried this 12-foot flag reverently to the living room where we respectfully folded it. He then had mom find a clear wrapping for it and placed it on my dresser.
Looking back, I am sure that the 48-star flag meant much more to him than I will ever know. He had defended and saluted that flag during his prime.
