My beloved father-in-law passed away last Thursday night at the ripe old age of 93. At the young age of 17, the Army called this young man who grew up as a sharecropper's son in the Appalachian Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina although he was planning to enlist in order to fight Hitler's Third Reich. He ended up on the big guns under General Patton during WWII and fought in the Battle of the Bulge and was part of the Occupation Army at Dachau. What he saw there haunted him every day until the end of his life and he could not share without weeping.

After that war was over, he enlisted in the Air Force during the Korean War.

The brave, heroic men and women of this great generation who fought in WWII are slowly dying out and they fought to keep what happened during WWII to ever happening again although we have seen several wars since then.

My father-in-law was an amazing man with a lot of varied interests. He was a son, brother, husband, father, father-in-law, grandfather, uncle and a friend to mankind. He was also a beekeeper, woodworker and a naturalist. Whatever he did, he did it with all his heart and he fought the good fight on several realms. I also need to add that he loved the Lord.

He will be laid to rest on Tuesday next to his beloved wife and I will miss this man greatly! When my ex (his son) left me, this man took me in because he still loved me and I will always be grateful.

 

I’m sorry. There are true American heroes and he was one of them! Please take whatever comfort you can in that.

 

As a man and a retired Air Force veteran he has my full respect, gratitude and you, my condolences. I hope many attend his last ceremony to give him hard earned salutes.

 

TAPS.

 

My heartfelt condolences, Lioness.

 

Sorry to hear of your loss! It is also amazing that he took you in over his own son. You sound like you were blessed by his life!

 

Of course he loved you, you're nothing but a big ol' pussycat, he realised that and the fact that his son is an idiot.
He fought against a great evil & his generation as well as the previous one bought us the freedoms that most now a days tarnish or take for granted.
I salute him and all like him.
As God states "Welcome and Good Work, you have earned your rest."

 

Rest in Peace.
A very smart man said it isn't important, the birth and passing dates on a tombstone, but rather what was done with the time between those two dates.

God bless your father in law.

 

My condolences to you and your father-in-law.
He sounds like a great man. Not many of them around any more.

 

Respect! Stand down Soldier/Airman .........Your Forces family all over the world, of which I am one, salutes you.

 

I hope he gets full military honors. That's the least we can do.

And I do have some idea of what he meant to you. Sorry for your big loss ad broken heart Lioness,.

 

What a wonderful human being!
This man has left the world a lasting legacy in the memories of the the people whose lives he touched.

 

I'm so sorry to hear this, Lioness.
You've had one rough year.
Hang in there, my friend.

 

Oh, Sweetness, I am so very sorry for your loss. I know you are thankful for his love & support and the special bond you shared, just as I’m sure he was grateful for your presence in his life. Just remember that love lives on even when our loved ones are further away than we would like. I thank him, and all of your family members who have served, for the sacrifice and service that keep us all safe and free. I wish you and your boys peaceful hearts as you heal & go forward in the blessed, happy lives your father-in-law wants for you. Love you!

 

Let the great architect of the universe guide him now that it's past midnight.

 

My father-in-law was laid to rest today and he's home now. He was buried in an old cemetery up in the mountains where his wife and parents are buried and it's close to where he was born and raised 93 years ago. He has come full circle.

There was a military Honor Guard with a 21 gun salute and Taps was played. My ex received the flag that was draped over his father's casket because he is the firstborn son. It was a very moving service including the funeral earlier where there was a lot of family that I haven't seen in awhile. We got to share whatever we wanted and what struck me is how many generations, at least 6 and possibly 7, my father-in-law has affected and will continue to affect with how he lived his life! This humble mountain boy from the Blue Ridge Mountains traveled far, fought against one of the worst evils ever because it was the right thing to do and he never shirked his family responsibilities and continued to remain ever faithful to the love of his life and family of which I am a member and always will be. What a legacy he left!!

I have come to a completely new level of appreciation and realization for what he has done for me and he will always have my love and respect!!

Rest well, Papa, you've earned it!!

 

Sorry for your loss. May he rest in peace. And thanks for his service as well.

 

My condolences Lioness on your loss. I can’t even begin to be as eloquent as the previous writers but this I do know. Your FIL is and will forever be one very exceptional man for sure. In reading this thread your comments sound more like the comments made by a daughter and not a daughter-in-law, raw and from the heart. I’m so very happy he was there for you as you were there for him. He lives on through you, your children and the other 6 generations and friends that knew him. God bless you all!

 

Isn’t it amazing how we interact with these awesome human beings day after day and year after year, but we don’t always "get it"? I mean... we know we love them and we value the relationship, but it doesn’t always click as to how truly exceptional they are and how deeply they’ve affected our lives and, especially, the effect they have had on so many other people and, in fact, on our world?

Papa was a lucky man to have you in his family. And the way he lived his life shows how important it was to him to honor his family and keep them safe.

I have only recently learned to make efforts to capture our loved ones with audio and video recordings and I encourage everyone else to do so. Though Grandpa is gone, the kids are still thrilled to hear his voice reading their favorite bedtime stories. There were things I never knew about his childhood or his years in the Army that only came up because someone asked a particular question during a "recording session". If you’re the one who is always taking the pictures, make sure you get IN the photos with those you love... you will cherish those pictures later.

And, most importantly, please visit our veterans... there are so many in VA hospitals and hospices and residences. Ask them about their service, bring them books or cookies or DVDs. There is nothing we can ever do to repay their service and sacrifice, but we can let them know we are grateful.

Thank you, Lioness, for reminding us how to honor and respect those who live their lives with courage and commitment. God bless and keep Papa, and all those who loved him.