In honor of...

Today is set aside as a holiday to honor those men and women who help our country when it is in need of protection. Some give their lives for our protection. Others are fortunate enough to live long and storied lives. My grandpa served in the Navy during WWII. The photo on the left is the last one I ever took of him. I've met very few people as caring and full of life as him. The photo on the right was taken on Sept. 2, 1945, when Japan surrendered to the U.S. My grandpa watched the peace treaty being signed from his boat, the one in the center. My mother said he never talked much about the war. He joined when he was 16, though you legally had to be 17 (he didn't provide a birth certificate.) He worked on the carrier the St. Mary's doing maintenance on the planes and guns until the war ended.

I am very fortunate to have been able to get to know such a great man. If you have relatives who have been a part of keeping our country free, please thank them today.