HERE is just ONE reason I'm proud of my dad.
He never talked about his childhood with us when we were growing up, except in the most general terms; it's only in the last two years that we have started to learn just some of the horrors he endured as a boy.
His main message is that we can never allow such horrors to occur again, and that God (HOWEVER you should choose to believe in him/her) is the only thing that can help you endure such experiences with (at least a semblance) of sanity afterwards. My Dad has never been religious, but he's always been a staunch believer in Christ and God.
There were many things I could never understand about my Dad when I was growing up, but now that I have begun to learn about his past, I can begin to understand him a great deal better. I'm glad he has broken his silence about the past, so I can, now that he's in the last years of his life, at least start to know the person he really is and why he is as he is before it's too late. Thats a gift that many children never have in their relationships with their parents, and I'm truly grateful for that.
What a story. You should be proud to have a Dad who conducted himself like a mensch, a word which pretty much means the same in both Yiddish and German. Looking forward to meeting you in Austin.
Posted by: Elisson at April 22, 2006 06:12 PMMy Dad, also, has never liked to talk about his past. His Dad died when he was 5, and they had a rough time. He was in WWII Pacific Theatre, not front line, but close enough he didn't want to bring it up except in the most general of terms. After the war he worked all security jobs, JPL, Space General, Aerojet Genral, Hughes and took his clearance seriously, so never talked about what he did.
He's in his 80's now and lives up in Oregon. My brother lives with them and he says that every now and then my Father will open up a little about the war or what he did at work. I am a bit jealous that I'm so far away that I miss his history.
You are lucky, I'm glad you got the chance to hear your Dad's history.
Posted by: SoCalOilMan at April 23, 2006 01:08 AMSitting here crying, tears of pride in your Father. Thank you for sharing about him and for the link to this story about him.
Posted by: Wild Thing at April 24, 2006 10:14 AM