Heroes, yes again…

Anyone who knows me knows that my heroes have always been cowboys, like Willie sings about.

But we all have family heroes. I have heard a few bloggers mention a dad, mom, GP or GM, and friends who were heroes to them.

Sherry, Lefty and Johnny. Lefty a hero of WWII, wounded on Iwo Jima.

Heroes have a way of making you feel good. Letting you know that there are still good folks in this world.  In a world of declining morals (IMHO), increased homelessness, increased divorce and hurting lives, it is good to see smiles of those we love, yeah our families.

Junior and Mozelle in front of their china shop.

I have sisters, brothers and ‘in laws’ who are in the category of my idols, mentors and heroes.

Odis & Ruth

Ruth and I cutting up a long time after Od passed. She was like a second mama to me.

I am sure in your family you have names that go together, we sure do. Kat and Dick, Shirl and Jim, Jr. & Mo, Odis and Ruth.  The names just fit.

Shirl and Jim (Lt. in the Army,Germany))

Just after WWII some of our families got together, like the pioneers joined hands and decided to all build houses, working together.  Odis my oldest brother found some cheap land near Shelby. Everyone bought in the same vicinity. I was just 6-7 years old, but I learned that men and women working together could do miracles.

Kat & Dick

I watched as they cut trees, dug stumps with us kids running around playing and sometimes gathering up scraps for the fire.  There was no power out in the woods but someone had a battery radio blaring.

Cement bricks were made, lumber hauled to the mill and back. Mortar mixed, we kids got a chance  to mix the mortar with hoes, and straighten bent nails. Houses grew, the men worked in the mills and came home to work until dark.  All the time laughing and joking and poking fun at each other.  Dick lived longer than my brothers, I can still hear him say, “We would be standing around and Junior would say, All right boys, lets do something even if it’s wrong.”

While the kids played, the ladies carried lumber, helped raise walls, carried water and cooked over open fires

Ah, the war stories of these heroes were fodder to the kids ears. The one I remember most was my brother Junior who was a gunner on the USS Baron, a Destroyer Escort. He said the invasions in the South Pacific had men sorta ‘crazy’  He was  port gunner and his buddy was a Starboard gunner. With a kamikaze headed for the Starboard side the Old Man called over the ships comm, “FIRE AT WILL!”

Jun said he looked over at his buddy who had left his gun and was running over to port side of the ship, yelling, Darnell, who is Will? Then laughing he ran back to his gun and shot the plane down. 

These were heroes to me and the rest of the kids in our extended families.  Men who had won, in a World at War.

Thanks for coming by the log. I appreciate it.

Nite Shipslog

PS:

Heroes come in all shapes, ages and sizes, EVERY family has them.

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Last Cars before the War Production started The Low end 1942 Chevy

Hi-end Packard Touring Sedan