Happy Fourth of July & Thank you for your Service

With the Fourth of July upon us you can't help but think of how we achieved our freedom and what we are celebrating.  Growing up I heard stories of my dad in World War II. War is not pretty, glamourous, or a welcome option, but sometimes a necessity.  Oddly, it was my mom who would tell us stories of what he went thru in the navy as a "fueler".  He was aboard a smaller ship and they would travel to the full size ships to refuel them.  He never liked to talk about it, even 30 years later.

One story my mom told was when they were on rations for weeks and eventually ran out of food. Some of the sailors lost 50-60 pounds. Can you imagine trying to stay alert and active on no food. War is tough.

My mom also told the story of how my dad helped save the entire ship by acting quickly and gunning down a Kamikaze pilot before he could reach their ship. No wonder he never liked to talk about it. I would imagine that stays with you for a long time.

This is my favorite picture of my dad taken in 1945. He was proud to serve his country and marched down to the Navy office and signed up when he was only 19 years old.

Thank you to all of our military past and present!  Your sacrifices make and continue to make this country what it is today. We know it's not an easy life and we pray for your safe return.

As a photographer I realize how priceless family images are, something to be passed down from generation to generation. Look at me with this beautiful photo of my dad taken in 1945 that I proudly display on my bookcase. I cherish it more than I can say.  I'm teary eyed as I type this because I am missing my dad terribly who passed away in 1993. Thank you dad, I love you.