My father spoke very little. What I learned a about him was from his cousin and his best friend. So here is the dad I never knew.
He had a small frame and was only 5’ 11”. He tried to play football, but was too small. So he decided to ride bulls instead. He was very good at bull riding as was most of my family. I heard he drank Jack Daniels, picked a lot of fights, and was basically a problem child.
He graduated from A&M and went straight to Korea. He was originally a tank commander. But his country squirrel shooting skills eventually moved him to sniper school. He was a very successful sniper in Korea. I hear he had 14 confirmed kills.
My dad insisted every day that I was better than everyone. He trained me in every skill he had. He pushed me as a kid to be bigger, stronger and faster than everyone else. He told me that second place was really the first loser. I learned from him. ~ I was recruited because of his accomplishments. I was made into what I am because of him.
My dad hugged me twice in my life. Once was when I became a CPA. The other time was when I told him where I was for the time I was working for our government.
I love my dad because he pushed me to be much more than I thought I could be. He made me what I am today. And that is a man with two degrees, a professional certification, a wall full of track and football awards, a man that could save a million lives with a rifle, and a man that knows exactly who he is.
My dad has Alzheimer’s today. When I see him he doesn’t recognize me. He was always the smartest man in the room, and today he can’t remember how to turn on a light. But to me, he is the man that made me.
Hug you dad on father’s day. Tell him you love him. His real life may be very different than what you think, but whatever he was; he was your dad.
I wish I could tell my dad how much he meant to me. But he wouldn’t even know how I was.
My kids know me and have never killed anyone. One bought me a bottle of Jack Daniels Special Reserve and the other bought me the DVD titled Apocalypse Now. I pray my kids never follow in my footsteps but become leaders instead. Wish the same for me . . . . PLEASE!
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