Today I miss my Dad. He died a few years back. During his living years, I didn't see him very often. I didn't think he would leave such a big hole in my life with his passing, but I find myself thinking of him all the time.
My father was one of the most patriotic people I ever knew. He was a proud veteran of the Navy. He assisted with military funerals, he marched in Memorial Day and Veterans Day parades, he donated to every military based charity known to man, and he was proud to fly the flag. For a few years I lived next door to another proud veteran, a man named Rich who chaired a committee to decorate military cemeteries in the area for Memorial Day. My sister and I volunteered with Rich, and every year we met at the cemetery with our flags and our grave map and we flagged the graves of wartime vets. My dad was proud of our contribution, and I took to wearing a name tag with my dad's name on it while we worked. I knew he would have been out there with us if he could have been. And I'm sure he would have joined Rich at the VFW for a cold beer when we were done. Rich passed away last Thanksgiving. The veterans lost a dedicated worker when he died. I hope his flag is flying proud today.
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