So sad for your loss.

My heartfelt condolences to your family and yourself Nanky .

'kins

Warm feelings sent your way my friend. As you know the line is always open.

When the kid's father (my cousin's asshole husband) got all huffy, dad grabbed the other sock and told him not to worry, he had a sock for his big mouth too!!

Priceless.

May the good Lord Shine A Light on you my friend.

"nanky, did he ever talk about iwo or the war?"

Actually you once asked if he would speak to your class by phone about the war.  

I mentioned it to him and he was actually up for it.
Surprising to me because he rarely mentioned it at all over the years.

So I was going to have him talk to you, but unfortunately, I found out he was going through a very difficult time mentally.  

Apparently, the Parkinson's medication he was on at that time caused him horrific hallucinations and paranoia that people were out to get him.  

I was afraid to burden him with much of anything and so I never put you in touch with him.  
A few months and a few trips to the neurologist later, he was switched to another medication and it straightened him out mentally.
But soon after several bouts of pneumonia put him in a home.  

He did not mention the war that much.
Growing up, he forbade me from watching MASH because war was not a comedy.
One day about 10 years ago, I was at his house and some show came on about PTSD and veterans, and he got up and went outside.  Sensing a moment, I followed him and asked if he was alright.  "Yeah, why?" he said -- looking genuinely unsure why I was asking.  So I mentioned that he got up abruptly during the show and so I thought maybe he was bothered by the subject because he never mentioned the war much.

His response, as best I recall it:

Not much to tell you.  You just keep your head down.  That's what they tell you to do, and for the most part, you naturally do it.  Unless you're an idiot.  Like one guy in our unit.  We all kept telling him "keep your head down, keep your head down" but he just always had to peer over the hole until one day, blammo, they blew his fool head right off.  Why couldn't he just keep his head down?

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That was one of those moments with Art!
There were others, about sea sickness in the Pacific aboard the large transports, confirmed kills (he was a 50 cal machine gunner, he had a few), the occupation of Japan after the surrender.  But keeping your head down was my favorite!

my great uncle is 92 and spent 6 months on the line in the ETO. he kept his head down and came out without a scratch....and he is still around to tell us the stories every christmas.

Nanky I am so deeply sorry for your loss.  I lost my Dad in 2005 and it's been a difficult and profound life changing experience for me.  I send you lots of prayers and love.

With sympathy,
Martha

Take care, Nanky! You write beautifully of him, sounds like he was a great guy.

Sorry to hear it nanky~ loss of a dad is one of those turning points in a lifetime, but the memories live on. It gets easier with time but you never forget. Peace.

sorry for your loss.