Relax, and thanks for any condolences in advance. It's sad of course but the guy won the lottery, he was a month and a half shy of 102 One of 50-66k WWII vets that were remaining. There were times 10 -15 years ago when I'd go over for dinner and when I was leaving, stepping outside on a warm evening would think maybe I'll never see him again. Well, he wore out that sentimentality in me. (smile) In a way, I had said my goodbyes a long time ago and since then have been in this denoument stage where you just live things out. I'm surprised - at times I thought he was simply going to live forever - and not surprised that it finally happened...and I'm OK. He had some pains of course, but cheerful and alert to the end and didn't complain (too much) A couple stories, he was US Navy in WWII, (sorry, no Papa Boyington tales here) he ran a minesweeper in Pearl Harbor - wars are 10% pointy end and 90% logistics - he was ROTC out of UNC so they put him on a train to San Francisco to be shipped to the Pacific, went out with the guys but ...he couldn't drink, he wasn't 21 yet. (The paradox of being in uniform going to a war and being told you're too young to drink son) The other quick story was they would minesweep Pearl Harbor every day (his other job was running a Sanpan to Kauai to get fresh vegetables for the submariners) there was some requirement for everyone to get trained on weaponary so he requisitioned a 50 caliber machine gun, bolted it on somehow and went out one day and gave everyone a whirl to shoot up some barrels. He was pretty popular with the enlisted guys that day. I have been to Nawiliwili where they presumably picked up the veggies. Oh yeah, the guy had two patents for microwave filters. Wow, a lot to process, even turning over little, stupid stuff as it presents itself. My schedule sure does open up as I was going over and staying overnight a couple nights a week, (and not getting a whole lot of sleep, same w/my brother who deserves most of the credit here and we had help during the daytime, had him covered 24/7 at home) I would have gone over tomorrow and its weird having to break a habit, my mind (was) resisting not going over, the conscious part trying to subdue that, even worried that at 3:30 someone would call me asking where I was even though I knew that was entirely irrational. well, step one is to figuring out what to do tomorrow. Been a heck of an April, turned 70, paid my taxes, signed up for Social Security, first check next month, even finally knocked off a section of the AT near Blacksburg on the 4th try (don't ask, important to me..) and now cracks a noble heart... ** Edited by `lag at 4/22/2026, 9:30:09 AM