My grandfather passed away on Easter. I attended and spoke at his funeral today. Among many other noted items, the following was revealed and seemed an appropriate positive lesson to note for today.
My grandfather was in WWII in the U.S. Army. He landed on the beaches of Normandy on the 3rd day. He was involved in the Battle of the Bulge. He never spoke of the war or his time there. It wasn’t something he wanted to discuss any further.
We found out, going through my grandfather’s things, this week, that he had been awarded 4 bronze medals in WWII. These are the 4th highest honor; medals given to someone for heroic or meritorious achievement. He received not one, but four.
He never told anyone this. My grandmother and father found these details while going through his discharge papers this week. We don’t know what he did to receive these. No one knows a single detail. We are certainly proud and yet, not completely surprised.
This is how he lived his life. He was good, without expectations. He was humble. He was strong.
Goodbye, my hero. Thank you for one last lesson.
~K
