MINNEAPOLIS –
The bus stops on the cemetery path and the silver-haired men file out, sober-faced and silent amid a sea of white marble tombstones. Some carry rifles, some flags, a few hold bugles. They've all come to say goodbye — to a stranger.
This is their eighth funeral of the day. They have five more to go.
The men are members of a special fraternity of veterans. Two generations. Three wars. Survivors of places such as Khe Sanh, Chu Lai, Tokyo Bay, the Chosin Reservoir. Recipients of Purple Hearts and Bronze Stars. Now all together, offering a final salute to those who, like them, served long ago.
Their gait may be slower than it once was, their shoulders a bit more stooped, their eyesight not quite as sharp, but every weekday, 12 months a year, in knee-deep snow and blistering heat, the men of the Fort Snelling Memorial Rifle Squad are out in force and in formation, paying tribute to veterans being laid to rest.
The volunteer squad travels in its own bus across the vast Fort Snelling National Cemetery, conducting full military honors: The call to arms. The white-gloved salute. Three rounds of rifle shots. The mournful wail of two bugles. The folding of the flag. A few words of thanks to the family. Then one final salute.
It's a sad ceremony, but a celebration, too.
"When you fire those three volleys and play Taps, that's a signal to somebody upstairs that someone special — a veteran — is on the way there," says Ted Nemzek, an 82-year-old squad member and Korean War vet whose Bronze Star hangs jauntily from his cap. "It's a wonderful way to say goodbye. It's meaningful."
He should know.
He and the squad have said goodbye more than 57,000 times.
___
It began with a man named George Weiss Jr. more than 30 years ago when a friend, a World War II fighter pilot, died and some buddies at the VFW post in the tiny town of Mendota asked him to gather a rifle squad for the proper military send-off.
Easier said than done.
Weiss had to snag a local high school kid to play the bugle and call in some favors to gather a six-man team. That got him thinking. There had to be others who'd need the tribute. So he began making the rounds to VFW and American Legion halls, pitching the idea.
A squad was born. It has been going ever since.
Weiss, now 82, is the only original survivor, a wiry great-grandfather with a hankering for Harleys (he drove one until he was in his 70s) and a razor-sharp memory of being 17 and so eager to be a part of World War II that he dropped out of high school and joined the Marines. He wound up in China in 1945.
The military, as it turned out, has served as bookends in his life. He took off his Marine uniform as a young man, had a long career at the Ford Motor Co., then in 1979, found himself saluting once more at the squad's first funeral. At 50, he was the youngest member.
He's still at it every Friday, donning the squad's official outfit — a black jacket with a patch that features the Veterans Affairs eagle emblem, black shoes and tie, white shirt with collar pins and overseas cap. The 128-member squad is divided into five groups; each man volunteers on a designated weekday.
Weiss, who has attended thousands of funerals, says the goodbyes are especially poignant for those who've outlived family and have few or no mourners. That's most common for World War II vets; on average, 737 die each day across the country, according to the VA.
"Let me put it this way," Weiss says, "last Friday, we had 15 or 16 funerals. Three of them had just one car. One had just one person. Here's someone who had spent time in the military and had protected his country and he had just one mourner. Well, he had 23 members of our squad out there. I know this sounds melodramatic ... but he did not go out alone."
"I don't know if that makes sense to you," he says, "but it does to me."
It does, too, to President Barack Obama.
Last summer, Weiss' contribution earned him an invitation to the White House, where Obama honored him and a dozen others with the Presidential Citizen's Medal, the nation's second-highest honor for civilians.
Weiss savors the memory of that August day and the ego boost of having the president quote and praise him. "I had to make sure my head wasn't too big for my shoulders," he says, his blue eyes sparkling.
He had a plan. He would salute the president when he received his medal. "I asked the Marine captain (if it would be OK) and ... and he said he IS the commander in chief," Weiss recalls.
Weiss did just that, raising his hand in a crisp salute, and was thrilled when Obama returned it and made the day even more special with a "way to go" atta boy.
The squad is now an institution at Fort Snelling, where more than 192,000 veterans (men and women) and their families from as far back as the Civil War are buried. About 20 funerals are held daily.
Squad members receive a schedule of funerals daily, but usually know nothing about the person beyond the branch of service, unless someone has clipped out a newspaper obituary. On rare occasions, there's someone of special distinction, such as one of the Marines who planted the flag at Iwo Jima.
There are other rifle squads across the country, but the Fort Snelling group is believed to be the only all-volunteer one with such a lengthy record of continuous service. It has presided at more than 57,000 funerals, never missing one because of weather.
Virtually everyone in the group is retired; members have held almost every kind of job: postmaster, engineer, teacher, firefighter, welder, autoworker, printer, VA hospital director, even the state's former veterans affairs commissioner.
They span all military branches and more than 30 years in age. Among the most senior is Dick O'Toole, 87, who refused to let a heart defect and a warning at the enlistment office — "don't come back even if there's an invasion" — stop him. He found a home in the Merchant Marine during World War II. The 'baby' is Tim Gabrio, 59, a ruddy-faced Navy vet who helped rescue 102 downed pilots in Vietnam. He's now disabled, with a leg brace — the effects of exposure to Agent Orange.
Like others, Gabrio says he doesn't need to know the names or biographies of those he honors.
"It doesn't matter not knowing them," he says. "It's knowing what they did for their country."
Nemzek, too, says there's an instant kinship with all the men and women he helps bury.
"I know what it's like to be shot at," he says. "I know the experience. I understand what this vet may have been though ... You know what it's like to be damned scared. You know what it's like to have that kind of feeling wondering if you're going to be around tomorrow. It doesn't make any difference whether it's Iraq, Korea or Vietnam. Vets just seem to appreciate other vets."
That goes for squad members themselves.
Each morning before the funerals, they gather in a building on the cemetery grounds to clean their rifles (they used the 1903 Springfield model), play cribbage, swap stories, and share coffee, home-baked goods whipped up by one of their wives and a few laughs.
"We're close. Very close," Weiss says. "Closer than brothers."
So much so that each death is mourned like it's a family member. The squad lost five members last year, including one Korean War vet who'd been a longtime prisoner of war. Some men have quit because of illness, but others who've had cancer, diabetes, cataracts, heart and knee surgery keep coming.
Every one has a reason.
For Archie Hazzard, the 76-year-old commander of the squad, it's a chance to honor vets who are much like his family. He decided to join the day in 1983 when he was at Fort Snelling, burying his father, also Archie, who'd landed at Normandy. His uncle Chuckie is there, too; he died a day after his 19th birthday in the Battle of the Bulge. A great-uncle from World War I and two Vietnam-era cousins are there, too.
"How can you walk among all these rows ... and not be honored and humbled and see this as hallowed ground?" Hazzard asks.
For others, there are different motivations.
For Fran Buesgens a 64-year-old retired teacher, this makes amends for something he DIDN'T do — go to Vietnam, even though he served in the Army during that time.
"I'm still having guilt feelings for having it easy," says Buesgens, who also notes that hanging around the World War II guys gives him insight into his father's experiences. "It kind of fills in holes for me because my dad would never talk about it," he says.
For Tom Mullon, an Army Vietnam vet, it's something of a natural progression. He was a director of a VA hospital, then a VA home, and now this ... "I wanted to stay in the veterans business," he says with a smile.
Truth be told, it's not all bleak.
There are lighter moments, especially witnessing the creative containers people have chosen for their cremated remains: a Wheaties box, duffel bag, briefcase, cowboy boot, golf clubs, salt-and-pepper shakers and a cake, which turned out to contain the ashes of, what else, a baker.
One squad member also remembers overhearing an amusing exchange one day when a mourner leaned over to point out the squad to a little boy, telling him, "Those are the men who protected our country." To which the puzzled kid said, "Those old guys?"
Being in a cemetery every week, though, it's hard NOT to think of your own mortality — and the feeling that someday you'll be the one remembered.
Don Fisher, now 63, says he sometimes notices old boot camp photos at ceremonies and has an eerie feeling of familiarity. "You think to yourself, you know that guy's YOUR age," he says. "It's just very strange."
Fisher, a Purple Heart recipient injured by a booby trap in Vietnam, also says he's a bit surprised to be part of something connected to the military after a lifetime as an engineer in the corporate world.
"The Vietnam generation, you came home and you just put it away," he says. "I wasn't ashamed ... but you had to get back to your life."
"Now 25, 30, 40 years later, you're doing something good and honorable," he says, and "maybe it's a chance to do the salutes you didn't get — or the ones you would have liked to see yourself."
George Weiss has plans for his final salute.
He has a 2-foot-tall solid brass shell casing from a 105mm howitzer that will house his cremated remains; it was purchased on eBay.
He wants to be buried on a Friday, so his squad can do the honors.
He doesn't want anyone to play "Taps." He prefers "Reveille."
Why a song marking the beginning of a new day? Maybe, he says, it's a message to the heavens: "Look out, here I come."
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Things to think about
'I don't think being a minority makes you a victim of anything except numbers. The
only things I can think of that are truly discriminatory are things like the United Negro College Fund, Jet Magazine, Black Entertainment Television, and Miss Black America.
Try to have things like the United Caucasian College Fund, Cloud Magazine, White Entertainment Television, or Miss White America ; and see what happens...Jesse Jackson will be knocking down your door.
Guns do not make you a killer. I think killing makes you a killer. You can kill someone with a baseball bat or a car, but no one is trying to ban you from driving to the ball game.
I believe they are called the Boy Scouts for a reason, which is why there are no girls allowed. Girls belong in the Girl Scouts! ARE YOU LISTENING MARTHA BURKE ?
I think that if you feel homosexuality is wrong, it is not a phobia, it is an opinion.
I have the right 'NOT' to be tolerant of others because they are different, weird, or tick me off.
When 70% of the people who get arrested are black, in cities where 70% of the population is black, that is not racial profiling; it is the Law of Probability.
I believe that if you are selling me a milkshake, a pack of cigarettes, a newspaper or a hotel room, you must do it in English! As a matter of fact, if you want to be an American citizen, you should have to speak English!
My father and grandfather didn't die in vain so you can leave the countries you were born in to come over and disrespect ours.
I think the police should have every right to shoot you if you threaten them after they tell you to stop. If you can't understand the word 'freeze' or 'stop' in English, see the above lines..
I don't think just because you were not born in this country, you are qualified for any special loan programs, government sponsored bank loans or tax breaks, etc., so you can open a hotel, coffee shop, trinket store, or any other business.
We did not go to the aid of certain foreign countries and risk our lives in wars to defend their freedoms, so that decades later they could come over here and tell us our constitution is a living document and open to their interpretations.
I don't hate the rich; I don't pity the poor.
I know pro wrestling is fake, but so are movies and television. That doesn't stop you from watching them.
I think Bill Gates has every right to keep every penny he made and continue to make more. If it ticks you off, go and invent the next operating system that's better, and put your name on the building.
It doesn't take a whole village to raise a child right, but it does take a parent to stand up to the kid and say 'NO!' when necessary.
I think tattoos and piercings are fine if you want them, but please don't pretend they are a political statement. And, please, stay home until that new lip ring heals. I don't want to look at your ugly infected mouth as you serve me French fries!
I am sick of 'Political Correctness.' I know a lot of black people, and not a single one of them was born in Africa, so how can they be 'African-Americans'?
Besides, Africa is a continent. I don't go around saying I am a European-American because my great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather was from Europe.
I am proud to be from America
and nowhere else.
And if you don't like my point of view, tough...
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE
TO THE FLAG,
OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
AND TO THE REPUBLIC,
FOR WHICH IT STANDS,
ONE NATION
UNDER GOD,
INDIVISIBLE,
WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL!
I was asked to send this on if I agree or delete if I don't. It is said that 86% of Americans believe in God.. Therefore I have a very hard time understanding why there is such a problem in having 'In God We Trust' on our money and having 'God' in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Why don't we just tell the 14% to BE QUIET!!!
only things I can think of that are truly discriminatory are things like the United Negro College Fund, Jet Magazine, Black Entertainment Television, and Miss Black America.
Try to have things like the United Caucasian College Fund, Cloud Magazine, White Entertainment Television, or Miss White America ; and see what happens...Jesse Jackson will be knocking down your door.
Guns do not make you a killer. I think killing makes you a killer. You can kill someone with a baseball bat or a car, but no one is trying to ban you from driving to the ball game.
I believe they are called the Boy Scouts for a reason, which is why there are no girls allowed. Girls belong in the Girl Scouts! ARE YOU LISTENING MARTHA BURKE ?
I think that if you feel homosexuality is wrong, it is not a phobia, it is an opinion.
I have the right 'NOT' to be tolerant of others because they are different, weird, or tick me off.
When 70% of the people who get arrested are black, in cities where 70% of the population is black, that is not racial profiling; it is the Law of Probability.
I believe that if you are selling me a milkshake, a pack of cigarettes, a newspaper or a hotel room, you must do it in English! As a matter of fact, if you want to be an American citizen, you should have to speak English!
My father and grandfather didn't die in vain so you can leave the countries you were born in to come over and disrespect ours.
I think the police should have every right to shoot you if you threaten them after they tell you to stop. If you can't understand the word 'freeze' or 'stop' in English, see the above lines..
I don't think just because you were not born in this country, you are qualified for any special loan programs, government sponsored bank loans or tax breaks, etc., so you can open a hotel, coffee shop, trinket store, or any other business.
We did not go to the aid of certain foreign countries and risk our lives in wars to defend their freedoms, so that decades later they could come over here and tell us our constitution is a living document and open to their interpretations.
I don't hate the rich; I don't pity the poor.
I know pro wrestling is fake, but so are movies and television. That doesn't stop you from watching them.
I think Bill Gates has every right to keep every penny he made and continue to make more. If it ticks you off, go and invent the next operating system that's better, and put your name on the building.
It doesn't take a whole village to raise a child right, but it does take a parent to stand up to the kid and say 'NO!' when necessary.
I think tattoos and piercings are fine if you want them, but please don't pretend they are a political statement. And, please, stay home until that new lip ring heals. I don't want to look at your ugly infected mouth as you serve me French fries!
I am sick of 'Political Correctness.' I know a lot of black people, and not a single one of them was born in Africa, so how can they be 'African-Americans'?
Besides, Africa is a continent. I don't go around saying I am a European-American because my great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather was from Europe.
I am proud to be from America
and nowhere else.
And if you don't like my point of view, tough...
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE
TO THE FLAG,
OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
AND TO THE REPUBLIC,
FOR WHICH IT STANDS,
ONE NATION
UNDER GOD,
INDIVISIBLE,
WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL!
I was asked to send this on if I agree or delete if I don't. It is said that 86% of Americans believe in God.. Therefore I have a very hard time understanding why there is such a problem in having 'In God We Trust' on our money and having 'God' in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Why don't we just tell the 14% to BE QUIET!!!
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
Just a Thought
Three weeks ago, I started to read the Bible. I started to read it differently than I had before. I used to read it just as anyone would read any book; I have just recently started reading it and getting the messages conveyed because now I have the Holy Spirit to help me interpret. I want to share something that caught my attention, and if you care to, share this with anyone who you think could get something from it.
It was suggested to me, to start reading the New Testament book of John. Well, I decided to start in Matthew because something told me that I should, and it felt right. Immediately, something caught my attention, and I brought it up to my wife (who has a whole two weeks of Christianity on me). It amazed me how many times the apostles lost their faith. I know that we are all imperfect humans, but how hard is it really to keep faith?
There they were, in the presence of the living breathing Jesus, who performed miracles right and left on a daily basis. The apostles themselves were given the ability to perform miracles in His name, and did so on a regular basis. But, as soon as anything looked bleak? BANG!!! They lost their faith. They had to be reminded time and time again by Jesus, that all it took was the faith the size of a mustard seed to move mountains. How hard is it to have just that miniscule amount of faith?
Now, I have only been Christian for a whole three weeks, but I have something to share. I was physically healed by a miracle of God. Not because I had faith, but because others did. At the time that this happened, I was still a pagan however; I had opened myself up to the possibility. I had emotions well up inside me that I had never felt before, and I felt the presence of God. Shortly thereafter, I prayed with Pastor Brian, and invited Jesus into my life and my heart. It was amazing! I had never felt so good in my life! Just writing about it brings back the joy that I felt at that moment.
Anyway, to make a long story even longer, I believe that I have found a way to keep faith. I think a lot of it has to do with your mindset, and the words you use when talking about it.
I KNOW that I have faith. I AM a man of faith.
This is how you need to think about it. Use conviction in your words.
If you word it as:
I believe that I am a man of faith. I believe that I have faith.
Well, that leaves it open to interpretation… 99% of the time that people use the term “I believe”, it means “I think so, but if you can prove me wrong, then…”
An example would be:
I believe that I deserve a pay raise. As opposed to:
I know that I deserve a pay raise.
I want to be a man of faith. I want to have faith. – is a little different.
In prayer, that is great. That is asking for our Lord, to give you faith, to maintain your faith, because if you ask, you will receive! But once you receive it don’t profess “I want….” Say it like you mean it “I KNOW…”
If you KNOW something, it is not open for discussion. There is no opposition, there is no swaying, and it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks.
Anyway, I know that God is a living God. I know that Jesus died for my sins. I know that if I pray that my prayers will be answered. And I know that everything that I accomplish in this life will be because of our Lord God. I know that I am just a vessel for His work. I know that everything that I am good at is because of God. And, I know that anything I have or will accomplish in this life will be because of our Father God.
I know that life isn’t always going to be perfect and worry free. But, think about it:
If God is in your life, God through which anything is possible, how hard can it really be?
Last weekend, May 16, 2010; was presbytery weekend. I was fortunate enough to receive a message. The first part of the message was a warning if you will.
“Never think that a double minded man receives anything from God.”
Well, any of you who know me would obviously know my immediate thought… “Did he just call me two faced?” well, I had the help once again of Pastor Brian, who explained that to me in better light. Remember, I am still new to the whole Christian thing, and have not yet had the privilege to read and know the Bible as I want to. I think that my new interpretation could be of use to a lot of people.
I know that I am and have been good at my job. Even when promoted to a position which I was not trained for, I was able to just jump right in and take ownership of it. (now here is the kicker)
WHY?
It occurred to me that for YEARS, God was with me and helping me. Even without my acknowledgment, He was helping me. I was always prideful, and almost to the point of arrogant when it came to my job. Then, a week after I accepted God into my life, I am given this warning, and LIGHT BULB!!! How can I take credit for what God worked through me? (There’s that whole double minded thing.) So, now that I think I have that sorted out, I am going to continue to have faith and do what I feel that God intends me to do.
I will continue to pray that God will give me the wisdom to be a better father to my child, and a better husband to my wife. I will continue to pray for the wisdom to take care of my responsibilities at work. And several times a day, I ask God to never let me lose my faith.
It was suggested to me, to start reading the New Testament book of John. Well, I decided to start in Matthew because something told me that I should, and it felt right. Immediately, something caught my attention, and I brought it up to my wife (who has a whole two weeks of Christianity on me). It amazed me how many times the apostles lost their faith. I know that we are all imperfect humans, but how hard is it really to keep faith?
There they were, in the presence of the living breathing Jesus, who performed miracles right and left on a daily basis. The apostles themselves were given the ability to perform miracles in His name, and did so on a regular basis. But, as soon as anything looked bleak? BANG!!! They lost their faith. They had to be reminded time and time again by Jesus, that all it took was the faith the size of a mustard seed to move mountains. How hard is it to have just that miniscule amount of faith?
Now, I have only been Christian for a whole three weeks, but I have something to share. I was physically healed by a miracle of God. Not because I had faith, but because others did. At the time that this happened, I was still a pagan however; I had opened myself up to the possibility. I had emotions well up inside me that I had never felt before, and I felt the presence of God. Shortly thereafter, I prayed with Pastor Brian, and invited Jesus into my life and my heart. It was amazing! I had never felt so good in my life! Just writing about it brings back the joy that I felt at that moment.
Anyway, to make a long story even longer, I believe that I have found a way to keep faith. I think a lot of it has to do with your mindset, and the words you use when talking about it.
I KNOW that I have faith. I AM a man of faith.
This is how you need to think about it. Use conviction in your words.
If you word it as:
I believe that I am a man of faith. I believe that I have faith.
Well, that leaves it open to interpretation… 99% of the time that people use the term “I believe”, it means “I think so, but if you can prove me wrong, then…”
An example would be:
I believe that I deserve a pay raise. As opposed to:
I know that I deserve a pay raise.
I want to be a man of faith. I want to have faith. – is a little different.
In prayer, that is great. That is asking for our Lord, to give you faith, to maintain your faith, because if you ask, you will receive! But once you receive it don’t profess “I want….” Say it like you mean it “I KNOW…”
If you KNOW something, it is not open for discussion. There is no opposition, there is no swaying, and it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks.
Anyway, I know that God is a living God. I know that Jesus died for my sins. I know that if I pray that my prayers will be answered. And I know that everything that I accomplish in this life will be because of our Lord God. I know that I am just a vessel for His work. I know that everything that I am good at is because of God. And, I know that anything I have or will accomplish in this life will be because of our Father God.
I know that life isn’t always going to be perfect and worry free. But, think about it:
If God is in your life, God through which anything is possible, how hard can it really be?
Last weekend, May 16, 2010; was presbytery weekend. I was fortunate enough to receive a message. The first part of the message was a warning if you will.
“Never think that a double minded man receives anything from God.”
Well, any of you who know me would obviously know my immediate thought… “Did he just call me two faced?” well, I had the help once again of Pastor Brian, who explained that to me in better light. Remember, I am still new to the whole Christian thing, and have not yet had the privilege to read and know the Bible as I want to. I think that my new interpretation could be of use to a lot of people.
I know that I am and have been good at my job. Even when promoted to a position which I was not trained for, I was able to just jump right in and take ownership of it. (now here is the kicker)
WHY?
It occurred to me that for YEARS, God was with me and helping me. Even without my acknowledgment, He was helping me. I was always prideful, and almost to the point of arrogant when it came to my job. Then, a week after I accepted God into my life, I am given this warning, and LIGHT BULB!!! How can I take credit for what God worked through me? (There’s that whole double minded thing.) So, now that I think I have that sorted out, I am going to continue to have faith and do what I feel that God intends me to do.
I will continue to pray that God will give me the wisdom to be a better father to my child, and a better husband to my wife. I will continue to pray for the wisdom to take care of my responsibilities at work. And several times a day, I ask God to never let me lose my faith.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Friday, April 30, 2010
From the Halls of Montezuma
To the Shores of Tripoli;
We fight our country's battles
In the air, on land and sea;
First to fight for right and freedom
And to keep our honor clean;
We are proud to claim the title
of United States Marine.
Our flag's unfurled to every breeze
From dawn to setting sun;
We have fought in ev'ry clime and place
Where we could take a gun;
In the snow of far-off Northern lands
And in sunny tropic scenes;
You will find us always on the job--
The United States Marines.
Here's health to you and to our Corps
Which we are proud to serve
In many a strife we've fought for life
And never lost our nerve;
If the Army and the Navy
Ever look on Heaven's scenes;
They will find the streets are guarded
By United States Marines.
To the Shores of Tripoli;
We fight our country's battles
In the air, on land and sea;
First to fight for right and freedom
And to keep our honor clean;
We are proud to claim the title
of United States Marine.
Our flag's unfurled to every breeze
From dawn to setting sun;
We have fought in ev'ry clime and place
Where we could take a gun;
In the snow of far-off Northern lands
And in sunny tropic scenes;
You will find us always on the job--
The United States Marines.
Here's health to you and to our Corps
Which we are proud to serve
In many a strife we've fought for life
And never lost our nerve;
If the Army and the Navy
Ever look on Heaven's scenes;
They will find the streets are guarded
By United States Marines.
a picture that i took in a bathroom at work...
Monday, April 12, 2010
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Thank You
OK,
There I was... Just sitting there wondering what to do. So, I decided to take this time to say "Thank You" to someone who doesn't hear those words very often.
Thank You Ren...
For being my wife, for supporting me and being behind me 100% in my career. For raising our daughter (by yourself for most of her life). For working as hard as you do, and caring for us as much as you do.
For those of you who don't know... When Monkey was born, I was not much of a father. I was in the Marine Corps, I was an alcoholic and addicted to a variety of substances which shall remain nameless. I was home from about 3:00 am (after the bar closed) until 4:30 am (when I went back to work). Thank You Ren, for keeping me around.
Scooting along a few years, I was no longer active duty, I overcame my addictions (Thank You Ren, for helping me through and sticking around), and got a job in the oilfield.... Well, when you work an average of 120 hours a week, there's not much time left to do anything with your family. Much less raise a child. I wouldn't be where I am now without her support. Thank You Ren, for being basically, a single mother and raising our daughter and instilling the values and morals worthy of praise.
Now, I only work 6 months a year, I am home every other month, and I am able to know and interact with Monkey. She is a wonderful, funny, smart, clever, etc, etc... teenager.
A lot of people say to me, "You are a wonderful father, look at your daughter, she is such a great kid.."
My reply is always the same... - "The credit goes to Ren... She is the one who has done all of the hard work, and I get to reap the benefits."
I'm not being modest, I'm being truthful. Soooo......
Thank you again, I don't know how I was lucky enough to get you, but I wouldn't want it any other way.
There I was... Just sitting there wondering what to do. So, I decided to take this time to say "Thank You" to someone who doesn't hear those words very often.
Thank You Ren...
For being my wife, for supporting me and being behind me 100% in my career. For raising our daughter (by yourself for most of her life). For working as hard as you do, and caring for us as much as you do.
For those of you who don't know... When Monkey was born, I was not much of a father. I was in the Marine Corps, I was an alcoholic and addicted to a variety of substances which shall remain nameless. I was home from about 3:00 am (after the bar closed) until 4:30 am (when I went back to work). Thank You Ren, for keeping me around.
Scooting along a few years, I was no longer active duty, I overcame my addictions (Thank You Ren, for helping me through and sticking around), and got a job in the oilfield.... Well, when you work an average of 120 hours a week, there's not much time left to do anything with your family. Much less raise a child. I wouldn't be where I am now without her support. Thank You Ren, for being basically, a single mother and raising our daughter and instilling the values and morals worthy of praise.
Now, I only work 6 months a year, I am home every other month, and I am able to know and interact with Monkey. She is a wonderful, funny, smart, clever, etc, etc... teenager.
A lot of people say to me, "You are a wonderful father, look at your daughter, she is such a great kid.."
My reply is always the same... - "The credit goes to Ren... She is the one who has done all of the hard work, and I get to reap the benefits."
I'm not being modest, I'm being truthful. Soooo......
Thank you again, I don't know how I was lucky enough to get you, but I wouldn't want it any other way.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Dark Force
I just thought that I'd blog and say to "Dark Force" that I am waiting for your call to inform me all about my wife's affair with a certain unnamed individual. I would be glad to hear your thoughts on this, as I am completely clueless on this matter. So, be so kind as to call me at 402-213-1098, and enlighten me.
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