What do Osama Ben Laden, my father, me, and the Navy Seals Have in common?
09 June 2011 | West Palm Beach
Let me try to explain.
Ever since I married Mary we have been fixing up our condo in West Palm Beach, Florida. Now, the Navy Seal Museum is only about one hour away in Ft. Pierce(there's the first). Mary knows that my father was an original member of the Underwater Demolition Team 11 during WWII and has his picture and name on a bronze plate right as you enter the museum(there's the second). He also has a brick with his name and rank and team number on the Walk Of Honor, the walk way leading up to the museum entrance. Ever since I've told her this and the raid by the Navy Seals to get Osama(there's the third), she has been asking me(there's the fourth) to take her there to see the museum and every time, I have been able to put her off. It's not that I don't want to take her; it just brings back memories of when my father was alive. And it's not that they were bad memories, they were very good memories. There was no getting around it this time!
Back when the museum was created in 1987 and my father was still alive all he wanted was to go see the museum. His health was failing him at this time and he was afraid he would not get to see the museum, but most of all his name on the Walk of Honor. So in Feb. 1990 I flew down to Texas from PA. picked him and his wheelchair up and flew him and myself to Florida to visit the museum. His two sisters and their husbands met us there. As I was pushing him up to the entrance on the Walk of Honor we were all looking at the bricks, my dad said we will never find his, I told him they probably have a location map inside. As I was pushing him on the final leg of the walk I had turned around and was talking to one of my aunts and the front wheel of the wheelchair ran off the side of the walkway. As I bent down to lift the wheel up I was starring right at an honor brick, the brick that had my fathers' name on it. Talk about an omen! I showed my father and backed away to give him some privacy. My two aunts started to go over to him but I motioned them back to give him sometime on his own to take all this in. When he finally looked up it was the first time in 44 years I have ever seen my father cry. I was so proud and yet so sad for him. As we entered we were approached for tickets and I asked where we could find the original team plates. She said that they were right at the entrance when we came in and explained that they keep all the original team members close to heart, near the entrance and gave my father his money back. We went back found his picture and name, made a rubbing copy of the name, and finished up the tour.
As I dropped my father off back in Texas and readied myself to fly back home he came over to me put one of his Dog Tags in my hand and said this is my legacy to you, the other I take to the grave with me. We hugged, it was the last time I saw him alive. At his funeral I made him a pledge that I would honor his legacy and try to outdo him. However, my story is for another day.
Fast forward to last week. As we boarded the plan in Baltimore to fly to Florida Mary said this time we are going to visit the museum she said she wants to learn about these special men, like my father. I was stuck so the Tuesday after Memorial Day we did just that. We found my fathers' brick in the same place but it was really worn. We took the tour and I showed her my fathers' picture and name. Now, you don't know my wife when she gets an idea in her head there is no stopping her. She wanted me to order a new brick to replace the old. I said that the original was just find. Our conversation was over heard by one of the volunteers, he came over and Mary asked how much it would be to replace the brick. It would cost $100 but since my father was an original member it would be free. He looked at the brick made a few notes and promised the brick would be replaced, just like that! My wife was so proud of herself, and so was I.
As we left I stopped one last time at my fathers' brick, I shed a few tears, said a prayer, and made him a promise to not stay away so long next time. My wife came over put her arm around me and said, "I never understood, now I see where you get you dedication and courage from, I'm proud to be your first mate." I looked up into the clear blue sky and said "Happy Memorial Day Dad!"
Ps. Make sure you check out the Pictures of the Navy UDT-Seal Museum in the Gallery.