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COMSUBBBS
Posts: 3202
Location: Alexandria, Virginia | Subject: Great Fathers Day
Had a Fathers Day dinner today with Barbara Jean and my oldest daughter. My daughter has ten days left at her present command (Her words,"Dad tomorrow I will be a 'single digit midget'...Army for less than ten days left.) She will return to Fort Bragg (Fayetteville, NC) for her retirement physicals, retirement paperwork, outbriefings and terminal leave. Very proud of the young lady and her impecable service record...Twenty one years, private to major...15 years in the 82nd ABN (America's Guard of Honor) Senior Jumpmaster, Master Parachutist wings, Jess Walls saber holder, from Infantry School, Fort Benning...Company Command of the HQ Company, 82nd ABN Aviation Brigade...earned Australian, Canadian and Venzuelan jump wings...completed her degree and successfully attended many heavyweight military intelligence courses. Good...no, make that, a wonderful daughter. Her dear Mother is smiling tonight wherever God sends good women...She was always so proud of her "Lil Vennen" (Something loving Norwegian mothers use to refer to their little darlings.) My other daughter phoned earlier in the day to wish me a HAPPY FATHER'S DAY....I got to talk to the "wrecking crew" (Grandkids...Andrew, Grace and Little Bulldozer, Calvin.) Calvin just turned four...When I asked him how old he was the phone turned suddenly silent...Later was told he was standing in the middle of the kitchen grinning and holding up four fingers...unfortunately I have a cheap phone owned my most ex-E-3's that fails to pick up grinning four year olds standing in kitchens 200 miles away holding up four fingers. B.J. and I are heading south next week to visit Major Harlow USMC, Cathy and the Wrecking Crew....Bulldozer asked if Gran-Gran was hauling any birthday presents and an a mature female voice in the background yelled..."Cal-v-i-n, We don't ask people if they are bringing presents." That of course is absolute bulls**t if you are a four year old lad, who just had to wait a whole year to rotate your longevity odometer...Why in the hell have birthdays or wiggle teeth loose if there's not bloody pot of gold at the end if your rainbows. Kids live for Christmas, birthdays, Tooth Fairy visits, fishing stuff out of Grand Dads pockets...pulling Grandad inspired Chuckie-Cheese raids...finding out that under certain circumstances it's OK to pee outdoors...counting to one hundred out loud with your butt strapped into a carseat. That's the kind of stuff little guys do for a living...that, and pester hell out of their little sister who is convinced that her two brothers were raised by wolves. God, gave me two wonderful daughters, a crackerjack Son-in-Law and three absolutely wonderful, one-of-a-kind grandchildren...and cheated me out of growing old with my wonderful little blonde, blue eyed Norwegian...But, all considered, I'm still way ahead of the game. To all you "fully qualified" Fathers and Grandfathers, I join you in a toast to the wonders of God's gifts. Gil Raynor, God bless him would put it in far better words that would take root in your soul...but please accept my sincere congratulations for having made the commitment that gives you the right to be a damn proud patriarch of your clan. Bless you all, DEX |
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COMSUBBBS
Posts: 3202
Location: Alexandria, Virginia | Subject: RE: Great Fathers Day
Oh, FORGOT....Kris is making plans to have her retirement ceremony at the Women in the Military Memorial at the entrance to The National Cemetary at Arlington on what would have been her dear Mother's 66th birthday...September 16th, 2007...A location about 200 yards from where her Mother is located in eternal rest. Any friends and shipmates in the area are cordially invited to see her "swallow the anchor" or whatever idiots who make a living exiting airplanes in flight, do to hang up their parachute boots and return to some semblence of normalcy. We'd love to see you. DEX |
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COMSUBBBS
Posts: 2540
Location: Wappingers Falls, NY | Subject: RE: Great Fathers Day
HAPPY FATHER'S DAY, DEX.
Sounds like you have had a great day...and I hope "all" the Dads out here have had a wonderful day.
Would love to be in your neck of the woods for that momentous day...but will be sailing "NORTH" with
the rest of the "bubble heads" to Alaska...but will have both of them in my thoughts. That is a wonderful
thing she is doing for her "last day"!
Patti |
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COMSUBBBS
Posts: 3202
Location: Alexandria, Virginia | Subject: RE: Great Fathers Day
Thanks "Miss Lumpy Bumps" (Love that name...always have....since john Wynn introduced me to you.) Thanks for the kind repsonse. Our little family has successfully circled the wagons and have found that by "sewing the seams tighter" we've become much closer and have achieved a a level of family fushion that does credit to her life. I was blessed to have been given a terrific wife and two great daughters...and now this old retread has been given Barbara Jean to take care of until someone hauls me to the loading dock at the funeral home or UPS's me to big hopper at the SPAM plant or the grinder conveyer belt at the ALPO factory. Had a Great Dad's Day...great all around. Now, heading to mix me Black Pete...(Two ounces of Pussers Navy Rum and black coffee so damn strong you can hammer it into bridge rivets.) DEX |
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Senior Crew
Posts: 184
Location: ConroeTexas | Subject: RE: Great Fathers Day
Dex, Glad you had such a good day, as did I, You definately have a family to be proud of and I am proud to say they are a credit to You, Solveig and our great country.
GOD Bless
Doc Beeghly |
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Crew
Posts: 75
| Subject: RE: Great Fathers Day
DEX, I know how proud I am of my kids. You must be suffering hypoxia from floating so high in the air. It's great to hear from you again. I'd love to get down there for the ceremony but don't think my wife would go for it. Primary caregiver and all that. Be proud. Ron |
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COMSUBBBS
Posts: 2561
Location: Rapid City, SD | Subject: Glad your day was good . . .
I, too, have two wonderful kids to be proud of. Daughter is in the health care field - RT (RRT), and son is a machine-tool technologist. Also four (almost) perfect grandchildren. Then three great-granchildren, the youngest two are fifteen month old twins (a red-haired girl, and strawberry blonde-haired boy). They spent a few hours at my house on Friday. I'm still putting things back together and trying to find some of my household furnishings. Their mother, my only granddaughter is perfectly suited to her maternal life-style. I've never ever heard her raise her voice to any of her children (all three greats, including a six-year old big brother to the twins) are hers..
And, Dex, I share your sentiments about being cheated out of growing old with the love of my life. He died 23 years ago, at the too-young age of 53. He only knew the two oldest grandchildren, and of course, none of the "greats." He missed out, that's for sure. And all ten of us remember him on Father's Day. |
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COMSUBBBS
Posts: 2540
Location: Wappingers Falls, NY | Subject: RE: Great Fathers Day
Hi Dex,
It is so wonderful to have you over here...and thank you for your kind words, too. Solveig is smiling down on you...knowing you have kept your family together and have added Barbara Jean to the mix...and that, my friend, is the best for all of you...and you should be proud of the way you have made like the "Energizer Bunny"...and have kept going forward.
AND NOW FOR THAT "MEDICINE MAN"...OH, DOC B...glad you had a wonderful day, too. Even though my dear hubby has been "OOC" for the last two weeks, he, too,
is slowly making a comeback...and WE WILL make sure he comes back to where he should be...HEALTHY!!!
Patti |
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Great Sage of the Sea
Posts: 811
Location: NW Connecticut | Subject: RE: Great Fathers Day
That's great Dex. Please pass on my Familys Congrats and Thanks for her service to your Fine Major..
You should be proud...sounds like great Father's Day for sure. |
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Great Fathers Day
