PURPLE HEART

My oldest grandson was complaining. "I come from nothing, and never will be nothing" is what he said. " Let me tell you a bit about your family!"  Our family is something,and your life is what you make of it."  Kids have no sense of of family history, and it is our job to let them know about the good old days.



So I sat him down to tell of my Uncle Chuck.  He'd left home to join the Marines when he was only eighteen.  We were a country at war, and he was shipped off to Guam.  He fought and received a Purple Heart among other medals, for his bravery, and by putting other's safety first. He never talked about his years in the service or complained about the Malaria that he had or the schrapnel he carried in his legs. He could tell the type of airplane overhead just by the sound of the engine. He built many models and flew some of them.He enjoyed air shows.



He was a quiet man, some may have thought henpecked. He was married three times, his second and third were the women I knew as Aunts. He worked two jobs sometimes to support his family.  He liked music, dancing, and sometimes he even sang.  He survived his third wife and was struck with Alzheimer's, so he ended up in a nursing home. His daughter came up from Florida, to visit him and I went with her.As we were visiting an aide told us what a gentleman Charlie was and how well liked he was. She told us that some  Marines had come to honor the Vet's. After the ceremony Uncle Chuck went up to one of the Marines and said something, the Marine shook his hand and saluted.  The aide didn't hear what was said,  but as the Marine walked away a tear escaped from the corner of his eye.  I would bet that "Semper Fidelis" is what he said, the Latin motto means,"Always Faithful".