MY FATHER DIED -- WWII VET AND MARVELOUS DAD

Vanity | 6 April 2006 | Mene Mene Tekel Upharsin

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

My dad died yesterday. He just quit breathing. We have been working with him in home hospice for quite some time and making him comfortable in the process. He didn't suffer excessively. My dad was a wonderful man and we ALL are happy and overjoyed for him at the same time we sorrow. He worked his whole life to teach the Gospel to the unbelieving and did so with complete diligence and faith. We have absolutely no doubt he is in Paradise awaiting the day of Judgement.

He taught me so many things much of which has been expressed here on Free Republic. I haven't always been the most congenial personality like he was. Dad was a WWII Navy veteran on a troop carrier in the Pacific theatre. Men like him fought and died so we can have the nation we have. I brought my flag to school today, I took down the Mexican flag (I teach Spanish) and proudly put the United States flag in its place (both are large flags) and informed the students that today -- that flag was going to hang on that wall the entire day in honor of the men who fought and died for this nation and it was going to stay there -- no matter what.

The most important thing the man taught me was to learn the truth and then stand up for it -- no compromise. I try to fulfill that desire he had for us every day I live. May God bless all of you -- we're going to need it soon.

[tiki]

May God rest his soul and comfort his loved ones.

[trisham]

I'm very sorry for the loss of your wonderful Dad. I lost my Father in 1995, and there's not a day that goes by that I do not think of him.

Prayers for them and all of that incredible generation that gave us so much through their sacrifice.

[brytlea]

God bless you and comfort you on your loss.
What a blessing good parents are.
My husband's Dad, a WWII Marine pilot, died in January. These guys were amazing, they went to war, they were heros, and then they came home and got back to their lives without complaining. God bless 'em all!

susie

[pissant]

Sounds like he lived a full and wonderful life. God Bless.

[Skywarner]

God bless you and your father during these tyring times.

Losing a loved one is never easy, but you can take comfort in knowing that your father cared very deeply about you and those around him. The men of WWII were truly of the greatest generation, and many parallels can be drawn to those in service today.

I lost my father back in 2003. He served on Tinian with the 509th Composite Air Group. A life-long conservative Democrat, he turned Republican after 9/11. That day, he called me at work and said "This is worse than Pearl Harbor. Never forget that. Never forget."

[SaltyJoe]

God bless you and your father.

I was looking for an example of a WW2 Troop Ship and came across this site:

http://troopships.pier90.org/index.html

and...

http://users.pandora.be/educypedia/education/worldwarIInavy.htm

[Skywarner]

"Then, the two came to slowly, carefully fold up the flag. The E-5 then brought the folded flag to my mother, and told her "On behalf of the United States of America, President Bush, and the Department of the Navy, thank you for your husband's service to our country." That was the point where I lost it."

Wow. Just reading your comment brings back memories of my father's burial a few years ago. I'm the only son, and with my mom being 74 at the time and not in the best of health, I was responsible for handling all of the details for the family. Throughout the ordeal, I was calm and cool - I guess I knew I had to be in order to get everyone (including myself) through it.

An Air Force detail, led by a Lt. Col., attended to my father's ceremony along with the local VFW folks. My father was Army Air Corp and an aviation engineer on "modified" B-29's in the Pacific. [I was later told that was why the Air Force had such a strong presence at the funeral]. Anyways, as soon as the words "On behalf of..." were uttered, I lost it. Utterly and completely. Yes, I was sad at the loss of my father. But, all in an instant, I was never prouder of him than I was right then and there.

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

Thanks for the links.

[Ohioan from Florida]

My heartfelt prayers for your beloved father and your family. Fathers are a wonderful gift from God.

[stephenjohnbanker]

My dad was a Navy corpsman, who was at Okinawa, and Peleliu. Two Purple hearts. Also the finest man I ever knew. Maybe they will meet upstairs. Sorry for your loss, as your dad was obviously a fine man.

[Ramcat]

May your dad rest in peace and receive the eternal reward of a peacemaker.

[anonymoussierra]

"May God bless all of you with a desire for knowledge and truth."BE STRONG GOOD PERSON I AM SORRY:{{{{{{{{thank you

[anonymoussierra]

Be strong!!! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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[Bigg Red]

Prayers sent for your father and your family.
I thank God for your father and for all fighting men, past and present, to whom we owe so much.

[LucyJo]

Giving thanks for the blessing of your dad's service to our country. Prayers for you and your family.

[Basselope]

I'm so sorry for your loss. It sure sounds like your dad was a wonderful person, and I can feel the pride and love in your words. Your dad will watch proudly over you in this life, and I have no doubt that you will carry on his ways and make him smile. May God bless your family and fill your hearts with many warm memories of your beloved father.

[Basselope]

..I'd like the memory of me
to be a happy one,
I'd like to leave an afterglow
of smiles when life is done.
I'd like to leave an echo
whispering softly down the ways,
Of happy times and laughing
times and bright and sunny days.
I'd like the tears of those
who grieve to dry before the sun
Of happy memories tht I leave
When life is done....

[Aliska]

I'm very sorry to hear this news. May he rest in peace. I have a bunch of old Navy letters from that time, wonder where he was inducted. Most of mine were from Ft. Sheridan.

May he rest in peace; he served our country when he was sorely needed.

Maybe that is the wrong thing to say. Rest in peace? If you are weary, yes, but I would look forward to a fullness of life unknown here with lots of interesting things to do and see :-). I don't know what will be allowed in that life; there are some things I'd really miss, but I guess those fall into the category of "worldly attachments" even though they are harmless hobbies.

[magisterium]

Absolve, quaesumus, Domine, animam famuli tui, ut, defunctus saeculo tibi vivat; et quae per fragilitatem carnis humana conversatione commisit, tu venia misericordissimae pietatis absterge. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

Absolve, we beseech Thee, O Lord, the soul of Thy servant, that he who is dead to the world, may live to Thee; and wipe away by Thy most merciful forgiveness whatever sins he may have committed in life through human frailty. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

[Ol' Sox]

Mene,

I thank God that He gives our country men like your father, whose sacrifices have kept our nation free.

May God bless you and your family in your time of loss.