A little about my dad

My dad passed away a little over a year ago. This morning I'm drinking my coffee and having a smoke and just thinking about my dad. I was thinking about all the things he did in his life. Let me tell you, there is no way I could ever be the guy he really was. It would be impossible.

These are just some of the things that this man got to experience.

At the age of 16 he was offered a pro baseball contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates, but he couldn't accept it because he was going into the seminary to become a Catholic Priest.

He went to the seminary and had to many questions the church couldn't answer. So he left and moved to the city and graduated from a public high school and managed to receive a college scholarship for singing in chorus!! And that man could not sing for sh!t. Lol!

But my dad had met my mom in high school and they decided to get married and he joined the U.S. Air Force.

While in the Air Force, he was stationed at both Cape Canaveral and Holoman AFB. There he was a fuel technician and he would fuel the Atlas Rockets. But the cool thing about it was he got to have coffee with Astronauts every day!!

He also would steal fruit from Ham the astronaut chimp. He just felt jipped that the monkey ate better fruits than him. He said they were giant apples and bananas. He also said that once they put a female chimp with Ham, and Ham straight up ripped the arm off the female chimp and killed it. Crazy huh?

So my dad served and just missed Viet Nam.

He came back to the city and became a fire fighter/paramedic. While doing that job he saved countless lives and a cat. He actually gave the cat CPR and Mouth to mouth! He even delivered a few babies. One on a toilet and another on a water bed.

While being a fire fighter, he managed to go back to university and obtain a 4 year degree in 3 years. It was in Public Relations.

My dad was all about learning and reading. He had so many certifications in so many things.

Back in 1998, I was wanting to further my forensics education by attending a death investigators educational corse to obtain a certificate in death investigations.

I told my dad about it. He encouraged me to attend. So I did. I got the certificate. My dad was proud.

Years later, I was looking through a binder that had his diplomas and certifications. While fanning through it. I came across HIS death investigator certification from 1976!

He never even told me he been there and done that. He wasn't one to brag I guess. Lol.

That's just a nibble a fraction of what this man did in his life.

And if only I could be a fraction of what my dad was.

Just wanted to share some wild stories about my dad.

a reply to: galaga

Your Dad lives in you. You will take him with you on whatever path you choose.

He will always be proud.

Thank you for sharing your Dad with us.

a reply to: galaga

My dad would be jealous.

But he is dead as well and this is one of the rare moments I spare a thought for him, but that is a waste of a thought.

Kudos to Mr Galaga.

That was a nice read, thanks for sharing.

Like your Dad, Mine has had a lot of cool experiences. Mine is still alive, but is pretty old now. He will be 89 in a few months. I usually call him from work every day to check up on him. Mom died a couple years ago, so its just him and his little dog in the big house he had built in 1956.
My dad is a retired genius scientist. He is a chemist, Microbiologist, paracitologist, research scientist, and plenty of medical titles as well. He went to join the navy as a medic after the Japanese bombed pearl Harbor, but the Army grabed him instead. They put him in a ship and were sending him to Japan for a land invasion, when we dropped the A- bombs, and they suddenly surrendered. They turned the ship and went around the pole. He did go to Japan as Occupation forces, but was spared the bloody battle. After the war, they put him through college in southern California and in San francisco. He was a quiet bashful guy. He went to work in a hospital in LA giving blood transfusions and stuff. My mom was an outspoken farm girl from Illinois working in that same hospital. He walked up to her and told her that he thought he was in love with her. She thought that was hillarius. She through her head back laughing, then told him "Ill help you get over it".
He went to work for a fortune 500 company as their Chemist, and became Director of research. He traveled all over the world. In the 70s he was summoned to the White house for a meeting with the vice President, and the secretary of Agriculture. They sent him to Germany on business. Mom made him take my family as well and we spent the whole summer. We had eurail passes and rode the rails through Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France,and England.
Ive tried to get him to come on ATS and do a thread a few times before, but he hasnt taken the bait so far.
Years ago he wouldnt give conspiracy theories a second thought, but now he has changed his mind. He reads non stop and researches all kinds of stuff. He alerts my sisters and I when he thinks something may be about to occur, and does multi part e mail lessons on stuff like prophesy from time to time. Pastors come to him for guidence at times.
I enjoyed your story about your Dad and it got me to thinking how proud I am of my Dad. I hope I dont lose him anytime soon.

I'm a father. I hope that when in gone, my son can write or say something like that about me.

Great to have met your dad. Thanks!

a reply to: galaga

My Dad just passed a few days ago, just over a year since my Mom passed. I was able to be with both as they took their last breath.

He was in the Korean war and that really Fd his mind up. Having spoken to many vets of that era and a few VA Psychologists, how my dad acted seemed to be a common trait for Veterans of that era.

I know now that he had a severe form of PTSD, but I still have trouble processing the 'dysfunction' that our family went through.

Another shock to me was how fast Hospice was 'suggested'. Don't get me wrong, the Hospice workers are ANGELS, but the vast medical machine is only too happy to pump some Morphine and Ativan in and end the 'suffering'.

Sorry, feel like I am rambling, don't exactly know how I feel right now, but I grieve for you at this time too galaga.