Remembering.

I couldn't decide what to title this post, my first inclination was "sad today" but although that describes the emotion it misses the point completely.

You won't find an obituary anywhere because he thought they were ridiculous, but you will find him in one of our national cemeteries because he served our country - over and over again. He flew in three major wars and countless other missions where I can only imagine how steady and decisive he was as a pilot. As a granddaughter, I remember the man who drove a semi and would park his truck across from our house on Wilson street and we thought it was pretty neat to look inside. That's when I learned that truckers actually had beds in their trucks. I can only imagine that he imagined he was still at the controls of a bomber when he was piloting a big rig down the freeways and highways. A very tall man with cool jumpsuits and even cooler cars. I remember that he drove a Porsche. I'm pretty sure it was green. I'm pretty sure he had had others like it. He could read your aura, but he probably wouldn't tell you about if he had. I can only imagine what mine might have looked like to him. At one time a stockbroker by trade, and always one to watch the markets closely I know that by the time I have gotten up and around to checking tickers he had been watching them for hours. He and Avery had their money game. I can only imagine what went on with all those coins in that egg-carton - perhaps she will let me in on the secret someday. Miles loved his plane. A model similar to the ones he flew that flies above his computer. I can only imagine what stories he would have shared with our little guy when he got old enough to listen. What he was old enough for however, was sharing his love of ice cream and Little Debbies.

I've only known him for a little over 30 years and can only imagine how much I missed the other five plus decades. I know what questions I'm going to ask him when I see him again though. Did you really see a UFO while flying for the Air Force and were you sworn to secrecy by the government? And what's the secret for your grilled flank steak and for growing tomatoes?

Stock-broker, truck driver, Lieutenant-Colonel, Chargers-fan, grandfather, great-grandfather, etc. Always the pilot and never the navigator.

We will miss you Big Al and we will always remember.

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