Happy Birthday McStud, I mean Dad

My Dad

I get my work ethnic from my Mom and Dad. My Dad was the guy that would work 60 hours a week at his company and still be up at 6am on Saturday morning to work on the yard. We had the best maintained yard in our neighborhood. I tried to get up and join him but I really liked sleep and Saturday Morning cartoons. I think I probably complained most of the time outside when I was younger, but now I miss it. It would be nice to wake up in the morning and work with nature. I wish I wasn't so prissy back then. I was always worried about bugs and dog poop and dirt.

I also get my sense of adventure from my Dad. My father was born to hard working farmers in Tennessee and he worked his way through school and later joined the military where he traveled to Vietnam. He was a Green Beret Communication's expert and he has seen stuff many would never see. His nickname in the military was "Geek" and he has survived some of the toughest terrain known to man. He would joke he knew 100 different ways to kill a man, but deep down, I knew he actually did. I remember one memento he had, a metal fork with a twisted prong. He said during one battle he had to pull out his own molar because the pain was making him moan in pain and either he pulled it out or someone in his company would have had to kill him. He would joke about this (that's just the way he was), but I am sure it was a horrific situation to be in.

My father served his country faithfully even though in one battle a grenade took part of his hearing (he has to wear hearing aides to this day). He has never had any regrets and he has ingrained in me American pride.

My father is 65 now and happily retired in Florida. I am proud to be his son.

Happy Birthday, Dad.

Love,

Dan