Happy Fathers Day

[Big Joe P]

Happy Fathers day to all the dads, grand-dads, great grand-dads, brothers, uncles, whatever.... My dad passed away 6 years ago.. Do something nice for a dad, not just today, but every day...

Let's hear your best DAD story, I'll wait til a few are posted before I tell you mine....

[Rider90]

Dad story? Hero sums it up.

As for Father's Day, my gift was putting 8 hours into detailing his CTS-V.

[Bluerauder]

Let's hear your best DAD story, I'll wait til a few are posted before I tell you mine....

Best Dad Story – 19 June 2005

My grandparent’s owned a place off of the Chesapeake Bay where I spent every summer growing up. My father would frequently take me out fishing for “rockfish” (i.e. striped bass) on the bay sometimes with my grandfather and uncles along. During one particular trip in 1962, we got caught in a gale that lingers even in my memories today.

On this day, the bay was rather calm and the sky was mostly blue to the east, north and south. However, as I looked back toward shore, I noticed some flags flying on a small point of land off Gibson Island. I asked my father what two orange pennants/flags meant. He turned to look and immediately cranked up the engine on our 21 foot eastern shore boat in order to head to shore and safety. Black clouds were rolling in from the west and the wave chop was beginning to increase.

Within minutes it seemed, the waves were at about 6 feet and still growing. Dad told me to get in the small cabin and put on a life preserver. He grabbed one for himself and the others. I could see that the waves were much higher than the boat and that it was disappearing in the swells. Then the rains came and visibility dropped to zero. My father was trying his best to stay aimed for shore and to keep the bow headed into the wind and the oncoming waves. I was getting rather nervous. The Chesapeake Bay can get rather nasty, rather quickly …. And I was getting a lesson first hand.

I didn’t quite realize how bad it was until my father came into the cabin with a length of rope and tied it around my waist. He then tied the other end to himself. As he turned to go back to the tiller, he simply said – “If she goes over, just remember that I am on the other end of the line.” “Remember to stay with the boat – I’ll be here”. I could tell that he was worried too !! This was some serious stuff because I had never seen anything bother him. This was obviously different.

After another 10 minutes or so (it seemed much longer) the storm blew over and the blue sky returned. The boat was right where it should be and still headed for the mouth of the river. Unfortunately, the storm cancelled the fishing trip and we decided to call it a day. No problem for me.

My dad's been gone now since September 1992. My sisters asked me to do the eulogy. I made it through .... barely. It was one of the most emotional and hardest things I have ever had to do. Loss of a hero is difficult. :cry:

Sorry for the long story ... Happy Father's Day :party:

[rayjay]

My Dad passed on 12 years ago, 9 months after retiring. The one story that comes to mind is when I was 3yrs old we were walking on a dock at my great grand parents cottage. Apparently I was transfixed by something and walked right off the end before Dad could grab me. He dove in and pulled me out. This doesn't sound like much, but my Dad was afraid of deep water. I never saw him go in anything but a 4ft deep swimming pool again. Thanks Dad, where ever you are.

[Smokie]

It is difficult to choose just one moment in time, my "papi" simply has always been there for me. I have never known fear while he was standing next to me, he never had anything for himself before I had everything I needed. He always praised my accomplishments and never ignored me. When I did wrong; the look of dissapointment on his face was all the punishment I ever needed because nothing motivated me more than wanting my father to be proud of me.


He is my best friend and has never turned his back on me, even when others have. He is a man of small stature but to me he is a giant and a hero.....hero in the real sense of the word. I give God thanks everyday for allowing me such a blessing.....my papi.

[hitchhiker]

My Dad passed into heaven two year ago a few months after a stroke at age 70.

Not a day goes by where I don't have some thought or event I'd like to share with him.

I remember him in my prayers and cherish the good times we had and the fact that the last few years with him were the very best.

We both took the initiative to reconnect and share more of our thoughts.

My Dad liked his Mercury vehicles over the years and had several. He would have loved our cars! The 1952 Hudson Hornet he left to me, wasn't my choice of cars, but it is the most special because he lovingly restored it and riding in it was one of our favorite ways to spend time. He taught me how to operate the column shift and the overdrive unit, and carefully explained how things on that old car worked. When I sit in it I feel closer to him.

Like most men of his generation, he was hard and practical. Raised during the Great Depression, he could be quite frugal. He was very generous to his family, choosing to deny himself many of the trappings of his success in order that he could be there financially for his children. Active in civic organizations like the Chamber of Commerce, Lions Club, Elks Club, and the
Masonic Order. He rose to the level of the Honorary 33rd degree Mason.

He believed in personal responsibility and fairness in all things.

Taking sick children to the Shriner's hospitals was his way of contributing to a better life for deserving children. He was also a life-long Republican in the spirit of Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan. I'm not sure how he would feel about politics today, but it is best not to explore that subject now.

I'd like to think that He and Ronnie have already had a good Gin Rummy game in heaven by now.

Bless you Dad.

Happy Father's day to all on MM Net.

Best Regards,

David

[Bradley G]

Great Stories ! Thanks, You Guys would love my dad.
He was a great man!
I can relate to the posts. , especially , the boating story, My father and I, were caught out on Lake Michigan when a serious storm hit.
Our little 12' butterfly sailboat was no match for the angry waves.
The tough part was the wind was comming straight from shore.
We did manage to get back to the cement wake barriers.The highlight was when my dad asked me to crawl out to the front of the boat to keep us from slamming into the side of the wind break.
That's when the boat dipped foward and I slid off the front.
There was a small foil I grabed on to, till my dad reached over and grabbed a hold of me, and pulled me back on the boat.
A large cruiser spotted us struggleing, they were nice enough to throw us a tow line and pulled us back to safety.
I lost my dad, while my Nancy, was pregnant with my son(the only male to keep our family name alive).
I feel he is still my "Guardian Angel" Thanks Dad!
Bradley G

[Cobra25]

Happy Father's Day !

[NAVCHAP]

Thanks for asking Joe. Lost him five years ago on Father's Day Weekend. A real shocker, we thought he was fine after his heart surgery the year before. Had to do all the planning and preps on the cross country flight.

Everything went fine, steady flow of visitors at the funeral home the evening before, the little church was full, and then we had nice weather at the cemetery for the final farewell. No problems doing any of the ritual things or preaching, the whole process was very consoling.

But knew I couldn't give my Mom his flag that he rated for his 8 years in the reserves. So another navchap did the presentation for me.

BTW, remembered everyone's Dads, living and deceased, in my three weekend masses.

Very Respectfully, -kjs-