The "Greatest Generation" is sliping away.

[dustin19d 0]

I just got a Red Cross message from my folks saying my Grandfather has passed away. A man I loved dearly. A man I respected above all else!
And what eats at me the most, is I was thousands of miles away and not able to say goodbye.

He served in the U.S. Navy from 1942-1945(Pacific Theater)

I am what I am today because of him. Gazing at his pictures and medals tucked away in the garage out of everyone elses sight. His day to day diary of the war that he was able to keep even though it would have been confiscated if found. Finding these treasures, I was able to ask him questions and received stories that would have made any 9 year old's imagination soar.

I've never had to deal with a death of a loved one so I don't know how I'm supposed to feal and what to do about it.

R.I.P. Gramps!

[Amazon 7]

Dustin sorry to hear about your loss..

I remember the day my grandfather died it was very hard because he shaped all of us in my family so much.

Remember the good things and the good times.. and pass on his wisdom to your children and grandchildren.

[Lee03 0]

I'm sorry, I wish I tell you how to deal with it, but I can't, and I don't think anyone can. It is something that you have to come to grips with in your own way. In time, the pain will lessen, and you will come to remember the good times that he brought for you. I know that doesn't help you feel any better now, and I'm sorry. Yes, your grandfather was a member of this country's "Greatest Generation" and as you point out, that generation is rapidly slipping away. Sadly, we don't even know most of their stories. Feel lucky that you found his diary and know his story, because so many don't. So many are suddenly gone, and no one knows their story. Prayers and condolences for you and your family. May he rest in peace.

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To put your life in danger from time to time ... breeds a saneness in dealing with day-to-day trivialities.

--Nevil Shute, Slide Rule

[dustin19d 0]

I'm sorry I had to post this here and I realize it happens to everyone but I was just so confused and didnt know who else to tell. The guys I live with(I love them to death) just seemed to laugh it off, and say life goes on. I've realized I need to keep it to myself and try to remember the good times like you have told me(It makes me smile). They don't realize the relationship I had with my G-father. I cant remember the last time I cried, and I guess I'm not supposed to cry cause in a guy. But this has hit me hard.
Well I have cards to go buy and send out.
TY

[ladyskydiver 0]

Sorry for your loss. I know how hard it is to lose someone you love.

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...I guess I'm not supposed to cry cause i'm a guy.

Bull shit! You're human...you're allowed to cry...gender does not play in this. Cry if you need to. We've all got shoulders to lean on.

Life is short! Break the rules! Forgive quickly! Kiss slowly! Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably. And never regret anything that made you smile.

[weegegirl 2]

Hey, listen... It's okay to talk about it. That's some heavy shit to deal with. It doesn't matter if it is your first or tenth lost loved one... they all hurt like a bitch. It helps to remember them and tell stories and honor them. It's respectful to tell others what a great life they lived. So do not feel bad about sharing this with us. I drew a picture in my head of your grandfather as I read your first post. He sounds like a fantastic man. I'm so sorry for your loss. You and your family are in my thoughts. Hang in there.

[kallend 1,623]

I recently had dinner with a friend who had been a gunner on a Navy B24 on antisubmarine duty in the Atlantic during WWII. What incredible stories he had to tell, He knew Joe Kennedy (same unit) and helped prepare the plane for the mission (Project Anvil) on which Kennedy was lost.

Talk to these folks before they leave us for ever, most of their stories will never be written down.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[skybrat68 0]

Both of my grandfathers died within about a month of each other last year, one of them in Feb the other in March. Before then, I had never dealt with a death in my family.

My first grandfather that died had been slipping away for probably 6 months. I wasn't close to him at all. What a contrary old man he was and had been for YEARS (or at least for as long as I can remember). When he was in hospice, I went to him and said my goodbyes but I didn't attend his funeral. I kind of felt guilty because of my lack of feelings for this happening. I just felt weird.

My second grandfather's death was a surprise. I'm sitting at home having a few beers and I get a phone call from my Dad with the bad news. This one floored me. When I went to college in '87 I lived with my grandparents (for as long as I could take their curfews etc) and I was closer to them than I was to anyone else in my family. I had everything going thru my head but especially what will happen to my grandmother. For this one, we loaded up in the car and drove 10 hours to north AL to make his funeral. He was such a great man. It still makes me sad to think that I never got to tell him good bye.

It has made it easier for me to talk to my grandmother and remember him and how good he always was.

[jerry81 10]

Hey man, I know how you feel...losing a loved one is like a void suddenly appearing in a part of your soul that you didn't even know could be torn away. But remember that you loved your grandfather because of the man that he was, because of all his past actions and because of what he has given you. That part of him will stay with you forever and can not be in any way lessened by the fact that he's passed away.

---

[skyyhi 0]

Come here and reach out anytime. . .that is what this "family" is for.

When we lost my grandmother - the "glue" that held the family together, it was tragic. I don't think the family has ever been the same since she left us. But we all healed. . .the best part was the memorial service where literally hundreds of her friends showed up to pay last respects. My grandmother wasn't religious so we did not have a religious service. Instead everyone took turns getting up and saying something they remember about her. We recorded those memories. . .it was so touching and poignant. And it helped me to heal. . .

Treasure the memories of your grandfather and pass them on to your children. Then they will pass them on to theirs. . .

(((((((hugs)))))) to you for your loss. . .

________________________________________
Take risks not to escape life… but to prevent life from escaping. ~ A bumper sticker at the DZ
FGF #6
Darcy

[Lee03 0]

"I'm sorry I had to post this here and I realize it happens to everyone but I was just so confused and didnt know who else to tell. The guys I live with(I love them to death) just seemed to laugh it off, and say life goes on. I've realized I need to keep it to myself and try to remember the good times like you have told me(It makes me smile). They don't realize the relationship I had with my G-father. I cant remember the last time I cried, and I guess I'm not supposed to cry cause in a guy. But this has hit me hard.
Well I have cards to go buy and send out."
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No Dustin, you should post it here. Your friends are here, you need, and they gladly give the support and understanding that you need. Losing a loved one, especially one so close as your grandfather was to you is probably the most difficult thing that someone can face. It certainly doesn't help when people, like those that you room with laugh it off. No, you do not need to keep it to yourself. You're a Man, you can cry any damn time you feel like it! Get it out of your system Buddy, no one here is going to think badly, or lesser of you because you cry over the loss of a loved one like this! Don't keep it bottled up inside of you, letting it eat away at you, let it out, get it out of you. We understand. You hang in there my friend! God Bless you.

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To put your life in danger from time to time ... breeds a saneness in dealing with day-to-day trivialities.

--Nevil Shute, Slide Rule

[winsor 186]

I'm grateful for every minute I get to spend with my father. He was a Gunners Mate in the Pacific, 1943 - 1945.

He and his friends are simply marvelous people, and I was extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to grow up in their presence.

If your grandfather was of their caliber, his loss is irreplaceable.


Blue skies,

Winsor

[jumpinfarmer 0]

First let me say sorry for your loss. Second don't be sorry that you posted here.
That said I've delt with a lot of death in my family and with friends over the years. Let me tell you experiance doesn't make it any easier.

[FLsurfer 0]

Sorry to hear about your loss Dustin. One of my grandfathers died when I was 2 and the other one passed away last summer. I miss and think about him everyday. His was the Greatest Generation and he fit right in. I'll never forget him or the countless conversations I had with him. A song that reminds me of him is 'Grandpa' by The Judds. I've never been a big country fan and the men in my family rarely cry, but I get tears every time I hear that song.

Cherish the times you had and may your grandfather rest in peace.

Problems just be opportunities in der workin' clothes.

[ChasingBlueSky 0]

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Talk to these folks before they leave us for ever, most of their stories will never be written down.

Check out this book:

The Greatest Generation by Tom Brokaw

Veteran reporter and NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Brokaw went to France to make a documentary marking the 40th anniversary of D-day in 1984. Although he was thoroughly briefed on the historical background of the invasion, he was totally unprepared for how it would affect him emotionally. Flooded with childhood memories of World War II, Brokaw began asking veterans at the ceremony to revisit their past and talk about what happened, triggering a chain reaction of war-torn confessions and Brokaw's compulsion to capture their experiences in what he terms "the permanence a book would represent."
After almost 15 years and hundreds of letters and interviews, Brokaw wrote The Greatest Generation, a representative cross-section of the stories he came across. However, this collection is more than a mere chronicle of a tumultuous time, it's history made personal by a cast of everyday people transformed by extraordinary circumstances: the first women to break the homemaker mold, minorities suffering countless indignities to boldly fight for their country, infantrymen who went on to become some of the most distinguished leaders in the world, small-town kids who became corporate magnates. From the reminiscences of George Bush and Julia Child to the astonishing heroism and moving love stories of everyday people, The Greatest Generation salutes those whose sacrifices changed the course of American history. --Rebekah Warren

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you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me....
I WILL fly again.....

[Kramer 0]

Sorry to hear about your loss, Dustin. He's in a better place now. You'll see him again. Peace bro.

The FAKE KRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMER!!!!!!!!!

[WrongWay 0]

I'm sorry for your loss. I'm sure he was just an excellent person as he was an excellent soldier.

BSBD

Wrong Way
D #27371 Mal Manera Rodriguez Cajun Chicken Ø Hellfish #451
The wiser wolf prevails.