Oldest Military Blogger Reflects.
A Comment two days ago on my Blog, prompts
me to re-title this posting ...
My Father Loves Me.
After finishing my Basic Training at Indiantown Gap PA,
and having settled into my new Quarters with the 301st
Port Co., an event took place, that at the time, was very
uplifting for my morale.
My Father,who had gone to work on the West Coast for
Kaiser Shipyards, constructing Liberty Ships for the
Maritime Commission as an overhead welder, impulsively
In an interval between shipbuilding, that day, on a train
bound for New York from Washington State, my Father
got off at the Harrisburg, PA. stop, some 20 odd miles
from, Indiantown Gap.
The Camp Service Bus gave him a lift from the Station
to the Gap.
He left after having Dinner in our mess hall but regretted
being unable to stay because he was anxious to be
on his way home to my Mother and 5 of my siblings.
Many years later, waking from a Dream, I walked into
my kitchen at Four A.M.,sat down in my underwear
at the kitchen table, and composed the following
recollection of the dream and what it revealed to me,
less it be lost forever..The Revelation?.
My Father Loves Me!
On Feb. 14th 1995, I had an insight that was quite
remarkable to me, that after 52 years I realized that
My Father Loved Me ....Very Much!
It was the late afternoon of Oct. 1943...I was in the
Army, stationed in Indiantown Gap PA....An Orderly
came to tell me that my Father was on the Base and
the Orderly had been instructed to bring me to
Battalion Headquarters in his Jeep.
Civilians had to be detained for security reasons until
a uniformed escort could be provided
to accompany them... on the base...
It was explained to me, that the visitor was with
Master Sergeant, Charles Hart, awaiting my
arrival at the Sergeant's office.
During the ride, I had the most agonizing thoughts.
Trying to understand the reason for this unexpected
and unusual circumstance, of allowing, visitors
for G.I's, who were only permitted on weekends.
The remainder of the ride was short, and when
we arrived, we were told that the First Sergeant
had taken my Father to the Mess Hall and we were
to meet them there.
As I turned to look toward the Mess Hall, from where
I stood I could see the the enlisted men's Chow Line,
some 200 feet away and outstanding, was the dark
blue outfit among the olive drab in the line, restlessly waiting.
The brown fedora and the blue figure's posture, identified
his person as my Pop...and as I ran toward him....he turned
to see where the shouting was coming from and saw me
running...he left the line and came in my direction.
When we met there was a very awkward moment, of
no embrace, no hugging or kissing......just some macho
back slapping and hand shaking..and I remember, that
wonderful smile on his face, announcing to me that he
was not a bearer of bad news.
The thing of it is, for over 50 years until tonight's
Dream, I didn't make any sense out of the look in his eyes.
Until this realization in my awaking...
I remembered those eyes ...
They saw me with sparkling admiration and good humor,
tearful pride and concern, a careful appraisal
from head to toe and with what I understand now,
as Much Love......
The kind of Love I hope my Children can see and
apprise, when they notice me looking at them, today.
The kind of look I had seen, in my Mother's eyes,
many times, knowing what that admiration was all
about.
Strangely, I never equated that thought
with my Dad.
Evidently, We do get Wise as we Age.
I still have the original hand scripted page from 1995,
on a yellow legal pad.
I share this with you now because I was 21 years
of age then, without the awareness of all that was
going on around me....occupied with my own trials
and tribulations.
I knew innately, that my father loved me, but the vivid
dream gave me the intellectual wisdom of his feelings
When you get Home, Love your families.
Expect nothing in return and you will never be disappointed.
You get Love only when it is Given without reservation.
Some day, you will realize, you were getting It back in Triplicate,
but hopefully, you were not too busy, to notice..,
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