My grandfather was too old to serve in the military during WWII but that doesn’t mean he didn’t serve. While my father served in India/Burma he put in long hours at the Kaiser ship yards in Portland. He too was a hero. He wasn’t awarded a Bronze Star like my hero father but he still gave it his all. The picture is is from a newspaper article on him in the local paper.
I remember his farm, the cows, chickens and apple trees. Not unlike my father he could be cold and warm at the same time. My father came from a very big family, 10 brothers and sisters. I still remember the twice yearly family reunions, tables in the back yard and plenty of fried chicken for all.
I also remember his weakness. He and my grandmother belonged to a religion that thought alcohol was evil but grandpa always had a bottle of bourbon stashed away in the barn.