This
is a long overdue post that I have kept putting off when the thought of writing
it has entered my mind over the years. As the most recent urge to record my
thoughts coincided with Father’s Day it really was no longer an option to write
about my father at greater length. While I have briefly mentioned my father in
previous posts, I have consistently left out many of the details… pretty much
all of the details in fact. While by no means comprehensive and certainly a
work in progress, I dedicate this post to my father.
Growing
up in a rather modest row home on Iona Avenue in Narberth, Pennsylvania my
father was one who, despite his academic abilities, focused largely on sports
during his formative years. In fact, I have been told stories on a few
occasions that there were even scouts in the stands when my father was a
catcher on the varsity baseball team for Lower Merion High School. And not all
of those scouts were focusing on other players on the team or opposing hitters
in the other dugout like Reggie Jackson. Because major league teams don’t keep
all of their scouting records, this is a story that has no substantiation but, given
the honest passion with which they were told and the talent that I saw on
display decades later, there has to at least be a little truth in those tales.
What
I do know for certain is that following his high school graduation my father
knew with near absolute certainty that he was going to be drafted. Not
surprisingly, he took his fate into his own hands and figured out a way to go
into the military as an officer without the luxury of a college degree. This
how my father ended up serving as a warrant officer and helicopter pilot during
the Vietnam War. While he flew in excess of, conservatively, 50 combat missions
and nearly paid the ultimate sacrifice during the Tet offensive on 30 January
1968 at 1830 hours when he was struck by one of the seven 30 caliber rounds that
punctured his aircraft, he has yet to receive the recognition for his service
with the 155th Assault Helicopter Company (Stagecoach) out of Ban Me
Thuot. This is an oversight that I am trying to rectify… I actually found out
that this is an issue common with the company in which he served.
Following
his Army service, my father returned home and, with his newly found focus,
truncated the time it took to receive his degree from St. Joseph’s University
(then St. Joseph’s College). With funds remaining in his GI Bill, he
immediately pursued and later received his MBA from the same institution. He
considered law school but eventually decided to continue his career in finance.
Mind you he was also maintaining full time employment and volunteering with the Narberth Ambulance Corps. Also during this period
in his life, he was introduced to my mother (thanks to her brother), a
relationship that has lasted for over 40 years.
With
his education complete and a young family at home, my father continued thrive
in the business world. While there have been certain unpleasant monikers and
unpleasant terms used to describe my father during this time, in the end, he
was good at his job, didn’t accept failure, hated braggers and name droppers, and
expected people to work just as hard as he did. Even years later, I can recall
brief moments of conversations echoing from his office. I may not have
completely understood them at the time and even now I can’t recall exactly what
was said but, as I have gotten older, I have come to understand those moments
to be glimpses into his aforementioned work ethic.
I have
also come to realize that my older siblings may have had a different experience
growing up but I remember my father trying to find the time to help me when he
could, attend practices and games, and answer questions that broke through my
stubbornness while completing homework assignments. I also recall the moments
playing miniature golf on the board walk in Ocean City, my poor attempts to
play real golf on various occasions, going to Phillies games at the Vet, and
simply joining him during weekly short car rides into the city or along the
main line with the oldies station or KYW News Radio (1060) playing in the background.
To
this day I still look up to my father and there are new memories made every
day. I have come to better appreciate everything that he has done for me and
the lessons that he has taught me over the years… some I took to quickly while
others it took years before I finally got it. While our conversations have
changed over the years, I enjoy the times that he is able to share his experiences
and knowledge about subjects with me as well as those rare moments when I am
able to tell him about something new or a recent family discovery that I have
made.
However,
the greatest moment are when I am able to see him with his grandson with whom
he shares his name. And the times when we can all experience something new as a
family are the memories that will last not just my lifetime but my son’s
lifetime as well. There is no greater feeling than when I remind my son that
this is your granddad, this is daddy’s daddy. Happy Father’s Day Dad!
