Hello dear friends. Today is Veterans Day, a day which is set aside for us to celebrate, honor, and pay respect for America’s veterans.
“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”
John 15:13 ESV
Since I began blogging, I have written many posts about my Daddy, especially honoring him on Veterans Day. This year I write remembering him for the sacrifice he made for his country!
Daddy was a veteran of the Korean War! Most of my long-time readers know that my sweet Daddy passed away on March 26. As my brother and I were sifting through all that our parents left behind, I found this photo of Daddy, while he was serving in Korea, that I had never seen before. He looks so handsome with a full head of curly (red) hair. Two of our precious grandchildren, Emma and Daniel have his red hair.
Near the end of 1950, Daddy was notified by the draft board. The Korean War was fully engaged and his country needed him. Leaving behind his beloved family and a promising professional baseball career was secondary to serving his country!
With strong mathematical skills, Daddy was assigned to a survey team for artillery with the Seventh Infantry Division of the U.S. Army. He arrived in Korea in August 1951. His unit was often assigned to work ahead of the front lines and was constantly in harm’s way.
Daddy and a fellow soldier holding a crosscut saw in the photo above, and him pointing at it might seem a bit puzzling, but this reveals God’s sovereignty and protection. Daddy had this saw across his shoulder when a sniper opened fire on him. A bullet hit the saw just above his shoulder. Daddy was pointing at the hole the bullet made in the saw! Having this photo is a treasure!
November 5, 1951, dawned a cold and cloudy day as Daddy and two other surveyors climbed Heartbreak Ridge, slightly north of the Thirty-Eighth Parallel in North Korea. About 1:30 that afternoon, the first man tripped a land mine. The “Bouncing Betty” immediately exploded and all three men were seriously wounded…
…Daddy’s first memory was being transported by helicopter, strapped underneath, to Taegu Hospital. He received large amounts of shrapnel to his upper body and face and suffered significant loss of blood. While in the hospital he was awarded The Purple Heart. Within a month, Daddy was back to his outfit seeing front line action on a daily basis. He was honorably discharged in October, 1952. In addition to The Purple Heart, he was awarded the Korean Service Medal and two bronze stars.
I was astonished and happy to find this photo of Daddy as a baby! He was born October 6, 1930 during the depths of The Great Depression into a typical Southern family in the Appalachian Foothills of NE Alabama. His childhood was similar to all children who grew up during that impoverished era. The depression had an effect on almost everyone in Daddy’s world and those years molded people for a lifetime. That may have been part of the reason Daddy was content and loved the simple things.
I loved what Sue, a sweet reader said about this photo. “The picture of your daddy as a boy with his red hair…it could have been something Norman Rockwell might have chosen to paint!”
Daddy discovered baseball at an early age. During the spring of his senior year of high school, he was scouted by the Cleveland Indians and was offered a contract to play professional baseball. After two successful years in Class A, he was transferred to Class AA. The Major League was now in sight.
Upon coming home, my six foot tall handsome Daddy’s top priority was seeing a beautiful dark-eyed girl he had briefly met at the Star Cafe where she worked as a cashier. The army recruits were sent to Gadsden to board a train headed to Camp Chaffee, Arkansas. By God’s divine providence, Daddy had been assigned to handle the meal expense. They spoke casually as he paid and went on his way. Captivated by him, she wrote down her address and slipped it to the last man leaving and asked him to pass it on to the man who paid the bill. Handwritten letters and long waits were the only way to get to know each other in those days.
After returning home, Daddy and Mother were married on December 24, 1952. My brother and I grew up in a Christian home bathed in love, calm, security, and contentment, under the care of the two finest parents anyone could have. I never heard my Mother and Daddy raise their voices to each other. They shared 54 wonderful, loving years together before my beloved Mother passed away.
Another photo discovery of Daddy on his mail route. I am guessing this photo is from the early 70’s. Daddy retired from the U.S. Postal System with 35 years of service. He received a special award for never being late for work one single day. He was an exemplary employee! My parents were able to spend so much sweet, quality time together as Daddy had been retired 18 years when Mother unexpectedly passed away!
A photo that was taken at our son’s wedding with the happy couple, Daddy, Butch, and me. Daddy was a proud grandfather of three, two grandsons and a granddaughter. He lived to see all three marry and have children. He was a great-grandfather of nine, seven boys and two girls! When the grands were growing up, they spent a lot of time with Nanny and Pawpaw. My brother’s children moved away after college. Seth returned home after college and Mother and Daddy had him to eat every week. She prepared his favorite meals. After she passed away, Seth continued having dinner with his Pawpaw weekly! Since Daddy did not cook, they decided on pizza for their weekly dinner. They would occasionally change to Chick-fil-A. Seth continued the tradition after he married and began having children. Our oldest, Ella Mae, spent almost nine years visiting him weekly. Pawpaw passed away on Emma’s sixth birthday, and only a few weeks before Wyatt turned four. We are so thankful Pawpaw was able to hold Daniel, our youngest, a couple of weeks after he was born!
Daddy saved for months to make a big purchase in early 1960…a RCA Victor console stereo. To a six year old, that beautiful mahogany cabinet that played music was magical! The music playing was my Daddy’s music, the music of his generation…”back when music was music” as he often said. I grew up listening to big band music, with his favorite being Artie Shaw. He enjoyed the crooners like Perry Como, Bing Crosby, and Frank Sinatra. As a child I loved when he played Rosemary Clooney and Jo Stafford, female voices that I could sing along with. I have a sweet memory from a small 80th birthday party for Daddy, I tearfully sang one of his favorite songs, “You Belong to Me”, recorded by Jo Stafford! Fast forward many years to when I gave him a subscription to Sirius/XM Radio and he played the 40’s station daily. Later we found a great way for Daddy to enjoy his music when Seth downloaded all of his favorite music, including Christmas favorites, onto an old iPhone 7. Daddy got a chuckle from the fact that he had an email address, which was necessary to download his music selections. Daddy and I spent many hours listening to his music. I now have that old iPhone and listen to Daddy’s music often. He passed his love of music to me. He and Mother sacrificed to give me years of piano and voice lessons. Music introduced me to the love of my life, my all-time favorite singer! Seth grew up listening to our music and sings and plays guitar, mandolin, and pedal steel guitar. What began so long ago when my Daddy was just a little boy listening to music on the radio is still very much alive in our family!
The American flag that draped Daddy’s coffin was presented to me (as the oldest) at the cemetery. I also have in my keeping the Purple Heart! So many of the stories of Korea we never heard. When men returned from war, they didn’t often share the horrors even with their family. It was only when Seth and my nephew sat down with Daddy and pressed him to tell his story that he opened up some about the experiences. Seth videoed the entire conversation and from it we learned so much! So many have said to Daddy that he was a hero. He always said, “I wasn’t a hero, the real heroes were those who did not come home.”
The VA furnishes a foot marker for all veterans. It was recently placed at the cemetery. I am so thankful that I had my Daddy for 71 years. He was 94 1/2 when God called him home. His mind was still sharp and he was able to stay in his home until the end.
I have shared many of these stories before, but we must never forget the sacrifice of the greatest generation and all who have followed in their footsteps! Thank you for all the heartwarming messages you have sent when I have shared Daddy with you, our sweet readers! I always took my iPad down to Daddy’s after a post about him and showed him the comments. He read them all carefully, asked questions about the commenter, and absolutely loved reading every single one. It was very encouraging to him!
Linking with: Pieced Pastimes, Between Naps on the Porch, Katherines Corner, Follow The Yellow Brick Home,
Life and Linda
“a man among men”. what a beautiful tribute. God bless all of our military men, women and families
Yes he was! Thank you Ruthie!
Thank you for sharing your tribute to your Daddy. It touched me on this special day.
How sweet and thank you Maureen!
This post about your dad brought tears to my eyes this morning Pam. I have enjoyed reading about him over the years when you shared his background and a little of his history as a veteran. I loved seeing the new photos of him, especially in his postal uniform and hat. Love your beautiful family photo at Seth’s wedding too! So thankful for all our veterans and their families for their sacrifice and service, especially those of the greatest generation. Happy Veterans Day ♥
Thank you Mary for your heartwarming comments. I have listened to his music as I have done chores today!
What a wonderful tribute to your dad, Pam. It was a privilege for me and my family to be a part of his and his family’s life from 1974 until he passed on March 26, 2025. I have many wonderful memories of him and Shirshee. These photos are wonderful, as are your words honoring him. H served his country so well, as he served his family. Thoughts of him and you today, as we honor him and all Veterans.
Thank you sweet friend. I miss him!
A beautiful tribute to your dad, a true American hero. Thank you for sharing on a day we honor and remember our veterans.
Thank you, Rachel!
What a wonderful family you had!! What a wonderful, strong and brave dad you had
to care for your dear family!! God bless him for his service to our Country!! Thank you for sharing this heartwarming story of a wonderful man, your dear dad!!!
Sharon, your comments warm my heart. Thank you so much!
This is a beautiful tribute, Pam. And I suspect because of his history and your love, this will be an especially poignant Veterans Day for you. Sending loads of hugs and love.
Thank you Jeanie for your sweet comments and the hugs and love you sent!
Oh my gosh Pam I loved reading this post. What beautiful memories and such a lovely tribute to your father. My dad was in the Korean War also and flew helicopters to get wounded out. You look very much like your dad. Love that two of your grands got his red hair. Such a lovely tribute. Very much enjoyed reading this today. Hugs. Kris
Thank you, Kris. I am so thankful for your father’s service. Who knows he could have flown my Daddy?
your post today, reminded me of my own father, who also served with the army in Korea. He too was wounded, and years after my mother would pick shrapnel from his neck. Also like your daddy, my father received the purple heart. My sister and I were blessed, as you were to have a dad who sacrificed for us, worked hard and imparted those values of faith, family and country. Thank God we will see them someday in heaven. God bless.
Yes, so thankful that heaven awaits us and we will be reunited with our family again. I am grateful for your father’s service in Korea and his bravery. It sounds like we grew up in similar families. What a blessing!
Pam, This is a beautiful tribute to your sweet daddy. He was a wonderful Christian man. I so enjoyed the newly discovered pictures. My daddy was a paratrooper in Korean war. The Korean War was brutal. Your daddy had a crucial role and served bravely. His injuries affected the rest of his life I am certain, but he soldiered on and didn’t complain. He got a job, married and was a good Christian father, husband and worker. He set a good example for others. Your mom and dad were great parents and it shows in your care and concern for others. Seth and his family were so sweet to continue the weekly tradition and the grandkids will carry those memories and traditions with them as well. We salute all the veterans today. Thank you for your sacrifice and service. Clara❤️
Clara, you have been so sweet through the years to ask about my Daddy. I would always tell Daddy when you asked about him, and he said you were kind and thoughtful, and I would say that I agree. I am thankful for your Daddy’s service and bravery. We were blessed to grow up in loving families❤️
Pam, a beautiful tribute to a great man of God, who served his country so well. Thank you.
Thank you, Judy for your sweet comments and years of friendship! I hope you are doing well, my friend.
What a beautiful tribute to your Daddy. I enjoyed seeing the new pictures of him—especially the one in his postal uniform. I now see how tall he was in the wedding photo. How special that photo is.
Thank you for sharing your Daddy with us over the years. Thank you to him for his service. And thank you to all who have served! Happy Veteran’s Day.
Thank you, Nancy. I was overwhelmed with emotion when I found these photos I had never seen. Daddy was tall and Mother was medium height for a woman, how did I end up short?
Oh Pam, I’ve read and re-read this amazing tribute to your precious Daddy. I have tears because of the love and respect shared! Your Daddy was a one-of-a-kind, like your Mom, I’m certain.
It’s easy to see why you’re so loved, too!
What an amazing gift~ to have this legacy passed down to Seth and his own.
Happy Veteran’s Day to your family as you celebrate both Fathers in Heaven!
I love you dearly!! 🥹❤️ 🇺🇸 🙏🙏🙏
You are a sweetheart Karla! Thank you for comments that warmed my heart. It is amazing for Daddy’s legacy to continue with his great grandchildren! Prayers for you my friend🙏🏻❤️
Thank you for sharing your family’s story! It was beautiful!!! You and all of your family have been truly blessed!!!
Thank you Mary Ruth for your sweet comments!
Dearest Pam, this is so beautifully written. I’ve read it over twice now. Although I never met your daddy in person, I just loved him and thought…what a wonderful man and daddy he was as you’ve shared such treasured stories with us. And then being able to watch that kind and sweet love continue to pass down the generations is such a blessing. I’m so thankful you have shared the love with us!
You know I have loved each and every picture of your daddy, but to add to the collection now, photos of his time in Korea…what a wonderful find! Such a handsome man! And it’s so special you all have stories to go with your pictures and he gave stories as well as memories to Seth. That is my recollection too…our dad’s and uncles didn’t want to talk about the war, but get on with life, not that they forgot their buddies for one single moment…
I so enjoyed your story about listening to our folks music…”When music really was music”, I believe I too heard that a few times! Growing up we ALWAYS had the radio on and loved the Big Band era. My husband was fascinated that I knew all the words to the “old songs”, but those songs brought with them lots of fun times and memories too. I still listen to them.
May God bless the USA and all who have served. This was a really special post Pam, thank you.
Sue, I have read your precious comments twice and then read them to Butch! Thank you for your kind and sweet words about Daddy. I am sure you saw that I quoted you today. Just as you said, I grew up with music playing every day. Butch and I still play music daily. I love the old music and I love the music from the 60’s and 70’s that was popular when we were teens! Our son grew up hearing our music, and then Daddy introduced him to the Big Bands and he enjoys it. Yes, may God bless all who served and the USA!
Oh my gosh, Pam, what a lovely presentation of your beloved Daddy. Thank you so much for sharing him with us. It brought back memories of my Daddy. He lived to be 95 and quietly left us in his sleep. What a blessing. He served in WWI. He fibbed about his age, and was only 14, serving as a guard for the army camp in Nice, France. We never got much information from him, and you’re so blessed to have captured your Daddy’s memories of his service.
Wishing you and your sweet family a blessed Thanksgiving,
Sharon
East Tennessee
Thank you, Sharon for your sweet comments. Your Father living to 95 was a wonderful blessing and that he served in WWI. Wow, enlisting at 14. That is amazing!
Happy November and wishing you and your family a blessed Thanksgiving!
Such a beautiful way to honour your Daddy Pam & in the process honour your Mum & family too. A wonderfully blessed legacy you have been blessed with.
Blessings to you sweet friend, Jennifer
Thank you, Jennifer. Blessings that are undeserved but God’s amazing grace!
I haven’t forgotten to reply to your post today. I read it early this morning and then the day took over, I can never make it through one of your post about your dad without crying. He was such a caring sweet man and mine wasn’t. I would like to have know him and your mom.!Lowell always put the flag up on Veterans Day and I was so busy I didn’t get it done. Beautiful post❤️
Thank you, Alice. You are always so kind and thoughtful. I wish you could have known my parents. It was God’s grace that I was born to them! I know you miss Lowell. I think of you and pray for you❤️
Pam, I have seen many of your posts about your daddy over the years and loved each and every one of them. This one is no exception – he seems such a wonderful man with a beautiful soul. Your tribute to him and his service – and by extension, the legacy he has left behind- is so touching. I’m so glad that you all were such a big part of his life and he, yours. So thankful for all the veterans everywhere that have so selflessly served their countries. Happy Veterans day in remembrance!
Thank you, Kim for your sweet comments. It was a blessing to have him for my almost 72 years. I appreciate your heartwarming words!
Pam, what a beautiful tribute to your dad, Sounds like he was a remarkable man. I am certain you are proud to be his daughter. So sorry for your loss, but I am sure you are thankful for the many years you had with him
Thank you Darlene for your kind and thoughtful comments. I was blessed to have him so long. He was the best Daddy a girl could have!
Dearest Pam, I think there are many of us who loved your precious daddy from the wonderful stories you have shared. Seeing all these new pictures were a delight although bittersweet for you, I am sure. You sure do look like him. That truly was the greatest generation…patriotic, hard working, uncomplaining. Sending you much love today.
Thank you dearest Roxanne. It was definitely the greatest generation. They did work hard and didn’t expect anyone to give them a handout. Thank you for the love!
Pam, thanks for such a beautiful tribute to your sweet Daddy. My daddy served in Germany in the early 40’s (WW11) and many years later…did not want to talk about the war.
Music was always in our home and the Big Bands were very popular. Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller (who can forget “String of Pearls” and “Little Brown Jug” among so many others. I used to sit close to the radio and tried imitating singers like Rosemary Clooney and Jo Stafford and Teresa Brewer and Kaye Starr and Patti Page. I loved it and both my parents encouraged me. I can’t tell you how many times we listened to Daddy’s favorite “Rhapsody in Blue” written by George Gershwin after being commissioned by the Paul Whiteman Band… and yes it was a 78 record….I actually kept all my parent’s 78 records for the longest time toting them from move to move until one of the movers lost them. I was so sad for so long over that loss. No amount of insurance can replace things like that.
I know how much your wonderful Daddy meant to you and Butch (and your Mother as well) and it shows how much he was loved by the generations who followed. What wonderful memories we all have…however, I am looking forward to seeing them all again…when we all get together, what a wonderful rejoicing that will be. We’ll be singing when the roll is called up yonder. Hugs my dear friend.
Kari, thank you for sharing about your daddy serving in World War II in Germany. No, men from the Greatest Generation did not want to talk about the horrors of war. Daddy loved the those same bands and singers. What a day that will bemy sweet friend!
Pam, thanks for sharing a loving, heartfelt tribute to your father a true hero and an inspiration to many. The vintage photographs of him are priceless!
Thank you Mary. I have been excited over finding so many photos that I had never seen!
Oh Pam, I remember some of these stories from your blog in the past, but many are new. I always have happy tears in my eyes when you share your memories of your mom and dad. What a wonderful grandson Seth was to your dad. That’s what tugged at my heart the most. You’ve raised a very thoughtful son. The photos are so very special and yes, the one does look like a Norman Rockwell picture for sure. Thank you for this special remembrance of your beloved dad.
Kitty, thank you for your beautiful heartwarming words and your thoughtfulness means so much. May you have a blessed week!
What a lovely tribute to your dad. So much of it reminded me of my own dad. He was a WWII veteran and was shot down behind enemy lines, several times, as a B-17 waist gunner. You are truly lucky to have had your dad with you for so long. What a gift! So glad I spotted your post at Linda’s party. Have a wonderful week!
Kim thank you for reading. Your dad was a hero. Thank you for sharing that information about him. Yes, I am grateful for my dad’s long life. Wishing you a lovely week!
HI Pam, Found you via Linda’s link party. Love this tribute to your father and his service.
Print a copy of this to share with future generations. I shared a neat story about the best gift my mom gave me and this story reminded me of my mom’s gesture.
Awe, Pam – your words are such a lovely tribute to your father. It sounds like he made this world a better place for all who were lucky to know him. Enjoy your memories, my friend ~ Suzanne
Thank you so much, Suzanne!
I always love reading about your dear Daddy. You were so blessed to have him for so many years of your life. I learned more about him in this post. What a treasure that Seth was able to record him talking about his memories. I don’t suppose we will ever fully know what those guys went through. It is so sweet that you were always able to read the comments to him and was so touching to hear that he would ask you about the commenters. May the Lord hold you extra close in every moment of grief, sweet friend.
Thank you for your beautiful thoughts and comments! God is faithful and I have precious memories!