Memorial Day Tribute 2023

Angel I just thought you might like to know that my great-granddaughter Mackenzie has decided she wants to learn how to shoot marbles. It would appear she has inherited some of that fire we had during those epic battles we waged on the schoolgrounds of St. Joseph's Catholic School so many years ago. I just hope I'm up to it.

You missed out on this growing old and seeing the knuckles of your fingers turning into big knobby arthritis infected and sometimes useless aching joints. My knees are shot too so that might offer some more problems for teaching the art in the old fashioned way. How awesome would it be if she went home with dirt or holes on the knees of her pants and got a scolding from her mom like we used to endure almost every day. We will need to find a new battlefield as it seems everything needs to be paved or covered with concrete these days in that area now.

Knowing the good person you were makes me believe you were chosen for wings at an early age because you so deserved them. What I find hard to accept is the horrible path you had to travel to get there. I have recurring dreams of what your last days must have been like in that awful place so far away from our hometown. The Viet Nam War took a lot of good young men who didn't deserve what our government exposed them to over there. I hope during times of stress you may have found some relief remembering those carefree times we shared together back when life was so simple.

All three of my little ones, Mackenzie, Brody and TJ, are fascinated by the many jars of those glass beauties I have collected over the years but she was the one who asked if she could have one of them. Of course I gave in but before she left she came and put it back into the same bottle for safe keeping. She was afraid she might lose it.

We are closing in on another Memorial Day in a couple weeks and I'll have you and my brother-in-law Tony Kunz heavy on my mind along with other locals who made the ultimate sacrifice. Once again there will be parades and various celebrations all around the country with so many oblivious to what the day is about. You wouldn't believe what our world looks like now. Even here in our little corner of the world.

I hope you will be smiling down on us as I struggle to explain how to hold and shoot marbles along with all the rules to Mackenzie. She is only five years old but she is very athletic and sharp as a whip. It will be a bit much for me but knowing you are there with Jesus and I have your support I will get through it.

RIP my friend!!!