Not quite a political post

[gopiscrap]

Today would have been my dad's 90th birthday. He died right before Christmas 1964 at 38 years of age when I was 6.

My dad was born in NYC in a neighborhood in which he had to walk about 20 blocks to school. In those 20 blocks he heard and learned 3 different languages. By the time he was 25 years old he was fluent in five languages.

At 17 years old he signed up along with millions of others to enlist in the US Army and was sent to Europe to fight for liberation of our allied populations. After the war he posed as a clerk in a East German hotel and passed along information to the US Government about what was going on there.
When the Korean War started he was sent there and then back to Germany after the Korean War at which time he met my mother.

When things were just being heated up in the Eisenhower administration, on December 28 1960 he was sent to a little known place called Vietnam because of his skill both in Languages and in deciphering code. On January 17, 1961 he was shot by a sniper and came stateside to live with his family (my mom and I) one night right before Christmas of 1964, after having suffered a stroke previously, he had a massive heart attack and killed him.

What my mom had told me of him (I barely remember him) he had insisted that Franklin Roosevelt was the greatest president we have ever had due to his creating jobs and other liberal policies. He said FDR would have been a near perfect president had it not been for imprisoning the Japanese.

My dad was great defender of civil rights (even getting arrested for letting a woman of color sit in the front seat of a car with him) he despised those that were quick to saber rattle or plunge into war.

What is going on now to me, totally desecrates what he fought for, what he believed in and devalues what my father and millions of others have been led to believe to be the sacred principles of our democratic society.

As a birthday present to my father, I thank others who have stood up to the tyranny and bullying of the past and of the present. I pray that we soon restore some common sense and even more so some common empathy into our civic affairs and become the nation that my father fought for!

Sorry this is so long!!!

[TreasonousBastard]

1. It's not too long. It's just about right.

And thank you for it.

[gopiscrap]

2. thanks

[skylucy]

3. Great post and lovely tribute to your dad.

[gopiscrap]

4. thank you

[lpbk2713]

5. Not one word too long.

I'm sorry we lost your Dad too soon.

[ProfessorGAC]

6. Geez, i Thought My Dad Died Too Soon

He at least made it to 69, and i was 45.

Great post, Ipbk

[gopiscrap]

7. thank you

it's too soon when anybody's parent dies

[monmouth4]

8. Lovely tribute to your dad and not a word too long. n/t

[Bucky]

9. Thank you.

It's important ot share our stories as much as we share our opinions. Your dad's story reminds us how important liberal government is, when it looks out for all our well-being, when it ensures that we have a lively, responsible economy that rewards hard work and commitment to community. It sounds like we, as a country, lost so much when you lost your father. Thank you for telling us his story.

[gopiscrap]

10. thank you

[KT2000]

11. great tribute

and it reminds me of the honorable people who used to dominate our world. I often think of my father and how he would be absolutely heartbroken today. I recall one time when he was disgusted with Boeing for having donated to both R's and D's in an election year. He saw them hedging their bests as lack of character. Honesty, integrity, ethics have been pushed aside.

BTW - not too long at all.