My Dad's Military Honor Service

We planned a Military Honor service for my Dad at the 

Tahoma National Cemetery. 

Our children all wanted to attend. They did not like the idea of having no kind of memorial for their Grandpa. 

I was very relieved that Corinne and Fred organized it.

Fred and I flew out of Las Vegas. We took a late afternoon flight so we had all day to get ready. We parked at a hotel and took their shuttle to the airport. There were no other riders with us. 

We got to the hotel very late - Scott and Jess were walking in right ahead of us. That was fun and totally not planned. Our rooms were next door to each other and Corinne's room was three rooms down.

All of us made our own plans. Shannon visited two of Brian's family members and then stayed the night with Elizabeth Spurlock in Port Orchard. On Sunday we drove over to Bremerton and met up with Shannon. Shannon and I wanted Taco Time. We miss it. There is just something so delicious about Taco Time in Washington state. 

Unfortunately all meals were eaten in the car. No restaurants were offering dine in.

I got my favorite - Chicken Taco Salad. 

The three of us drove around Bremerton and Silverdale. Stopped in to visit with Gerry and Linda Nyland for a little bit. Then we drove Shannon back to Elizabeth's in Port Orchard to pick up her car. Here we are together in her home.

We got to meet her fiance Brian. He seemed wonderful and we are so happy for Elizabeth.

Monday morning it was quite beautiful out although pretty chilly. I was happy to see the sun. The day Dad passed away it was gloomy and cloudy. This made up for that. We were all staged in our cars to follow a golf cart back to the covered area.

 We were brought to this nice covered area. The program was surprisingly so lovely. I did not have high expectations, but it was so appropriate and Dad would have felt honored. I know I did. Two Navy soldiers folded and presented me with this flag. 

The Navy Chaplain shared a few words and poems that were just right.

There was the gun salute and a bugler that played Taps.

This cemetery is quite beautiful. You can feel a reverence throughout.

Everyone was so respectful and involved in placing the flags for their Grandpa.

It was so nice to watch them all participate.

Fred is the one who thought bringing flags to decorate the grave would be a good thing to do. It was perfect.

Jess picked out some flowers from Pike's Place Market to decorate the grave. That was another perfect touch. Here is our family.

Corinne and Ben brought their children. They involved Grandpa in so many of their activities and had him in their home a lot. 

Scott and Jess were able to leave their boys with her sister Kristin and her family. That worked out perfect so they had time for Scott to be tour guide and show Jess around his childhood places.

Here we are.

Shannon came solo. She enjoyed visiting with Brian's family and a couple of her best friends from childhood. We all had a wonderful time together.

Isn't this just right? The kids all did such a great job displaying the flags and flowers.

Mom and Dad's gravesite is right off the road which is convenient so we don't have to walk through too many other sites to get to them. The headstone will be placed soon.

After the service, we had Jimmy John's deliver lunch to the hotel. It was nice to be able to sit and visit and enjoy eating NOT IN A CAR.

Garrett made a colossal mint oreo cookie.

Scott and Jess and Shannon had to head to the airport. We offered to take Corinne's family on the Great Wheel on the Seattle waterfront. It's their birthday gifts this year. 

Taking a picture of taking a picture.

It was beautiful up there.

Corinne's family took off to visit a couple of Ben's siblings so we drove around. Fred wanted to drive in the new tunnel along the waterfront.

I wanted to drive up to the temple. It was spectacular the way the sun was shining through the clouds and illuminated the Temple.

We stopped and picked up Panera for dinner back at our hotel room. Fred went out and bought us some ice cream at Wal Mart. After this big trip, we are headed to better eating habits so we wanted to live it up. 

It was such a wonderful weekend to spend with our children and part of our grandchildren. Nothing could have been better. I'm so thankful that we were able to honor Dad with this weekend of celebration.

I never knew

I've been so disappointed and frustrated than no one ever posted any comments on any of my blog posts. Well my friend just told me she makes comments, but they never appear. I went in and discovered I have to approve them all. What the heck. I never knew that. Now I need to go back and read them all. Thank you to all who have made comments. Now I will regularly check them.

Since I'm on here I'll make a quick post about my Dad passing. It doesn't feel real at all. It was so sudden and unexpected. He was so excited to move out of the Veterans home to live with a good friend as a couple of bachelors. The mobile home he was sharing with his friend was in desperate need of repairs. He had a list made up of everything he wanted to do.

He moved in the weekend of Thanksgiving and called me about 10 days later complaining that he just felt like giving up. He was not interested in even getting out of bed or making his breakfast. He had jumped right into a vigorous and physical project and figured he had just overdone it and was worn out. When he is down physically, his emotions tank. Then a few days later he said he needed to move back to the Vets Home because he could see now that moving out was a mistake. The Vets home required a COVID test which came back positive and he had to quarantine for 14 days. The next day he lost his balance while in the kitchen because his head was so dizzy. No eating or drinking will do that. That landed him in the ER. All his bloodwork and XRays came back clean, but he was very dehydrated and the ER doctor wanted to transfer him to a Rehab facility. Within a couple days of that, he was even more despondent and didn't want to even fight to get better. Monday the 21st he entered the center and Tuesday the 29th he asked for Hospice to come. He died very early Thursday morning the 31st.

His earthy possesions are spread between our home and the home he shared with his friend. He basically has a bedroom full of things which I'm so grateful for. I can't imagine having a house full of possessions. This is enough. He has been receiving 4-5 pieces of fan mail daily since he moved to the Veterans home in May. It had begun to dwindle the last couple of years. Right now Dad had received 36 fan letters dated back to November 17th. I have drafted up a response that should be appropriate to send telling them that my Dad has passed. 

There is a teacher back in Connecticut who has reached out to my Dad for a few years to participate with his students for Veterans Day each year. He would skype into a school assembly to talk about his WWII experiences and answer questions. The students would make cards and shower him with attention and honor. A big envelope arrived from this teacher for Christmas and was filled with 15 handmade greetings. My Dad never got to open it. This is what makes me sad. He was such a positive force and influence on so many people who didn't even know him. These people expressed their admiration and gratitude for his service to his country.

We aren't holding any service for him. He requested that we not. He said he received all the accolades and attention during his lifetime, he didn't need anymore in death. It's a relief, but it does seem kind of sad. He will be buried in Washington state at the Tahoma National Cemetery where my Mom is buried. Fred and I, Corinne and her family, Shannon and Scott & Jess will be coming to the graveside service that Corinne and Fred have planned. I told them I just couldn't do it. 

I feel regret that I didn't do more with my Dad. I wish I had visited him more while he was in the Veterans home. He was always so independent and happy doing his own thing. I didn't feel like he needed me to be there all the time. At this very moment, I'm just so grateful that he is in Paradise with my Mom and all who he loves on the other side. Whatever was difficult or disappointing, now it doesn't even matter.

Thank you all for being my friends and family. Life is precious. I've got to do better.