My father was born 87 yrs ago in Pennsylvania. He recently celebrated this birthday. He grew up one of 9 children to my Grammy and Pappy. Pappy owned his business of moving and hauling. Growing up, Dad was forced to, at times, not attend school so he could assist his father in his business. When he was in 5th grade, a young boy moved to the same town as my dad. He and my dad became friends, and caused a great commotion, I would imagine, because they are still doing it 75 yrs later.
Living in the end years of World War II, my father and his friend, Lee, wanted retribution for Pearl Harbor so they decided to join the Marine Corps. They were both under age so they had to have the permission of their parents to join. They both did boot camp at Paris Island. Both got identical tattoos which read USMC in a ribbon. Dad's has faded and Lee has since had his colored in. BUT much to their dismay, the war ended before they were able to be sent to Europe or Japan. At the end of basic training, Lee was sent to Panama to guard the Panama Canal while my dad was sent to Quantico (FBI Headquarters) where he peeled "500 pounds of potatoes" while he was there. Both Lee and Dad were discharged within weeks of each other.
Over the next years, both men married and had children. Lee had 4 children and dad had 5 (from 2 marriages). Each went their own way to make a living for their families and each moved to different areas of the country. Lee ended up in FL working for Eastern Airlines, while Dad remained in PA and continued his father's business and then later on, driving over the road trucking moving families across the country.
When the moving and hauling business faltered, and my mother wanted my father home more than 1-2 wks a month, Dad moved the family to South Florida and found out from Lee's family in PA, that Lee was also living in S. Florida about 60 miles from us. They reacquainted and the fun and frivolities continued. They were like Abbott and Costello.... one was the joke teller and one was the straightman. My dad tried very hard not laughing at Lee's silliness but he had a hard time in trying to succeed. As kids, we loved Lee, calling him Pretzel, because we could not pronounce his last night. For as long as I remember, Pretzel and my dad were good friends.
There were times of distance and silence between these two Marine Vets but whenever they got together, fun followed.
My mother passed away in 1995 and thankfully, Lee came from Alabama to FL and spent that first week after her passing, with my dad. He kept dad going. He listened; he tried to get dad to laugh; he helped that first trying week to be a bit more bearable.
The two friends decided at some point that when my father would go to PA for the family reunion held every year, he and Lee would take a road trip together. On the trips they listened to gospel music, country music and polka music. They stopped at all the truck stops dad frequented as a truck driver and bought souveniers from these stops: Swiss Army knives; models of 18 wheelers; model airplanes; and Marine caps proclaiming "Semper Fi". These trips continued over the next 15 yrs or so until health issues began to take a toll on each of the men.
Dad was losing his eyesight and his knees and joints bothered him, while Lee also had knee problems and would rather sleep than drive the Dodge Ram to PA. When they reached PA, each went their own ways, meeting up to visit my relatives and then beginning the trip back home.
Recently Lee's wife of 50 years passed away. He had both knees replaced and needed a lot of therapy in rehab. He moved with his one daughter during that time. Now living in an assisted living apt, Lee also traveled to S. FL to visit his other daughter.
Dad stopped driving and sold his truck and had episodes of Congestive Heart Failure as well as the beginnings of Kidney failure due to the medications. Dad is still living alone but must rely on me for his medications and book work as well as visits to the dr and cooking for him on Sundays. Lee, as he tells it, is surrounded by old ladies asking the same questions at every meal.
Recently, I received a letter from his daughter in S. FL. She and her family were trying to get in touch with my dad however he had gotten a new phone and phone number and Lee did not have it. His daughter wrote saying her dad was with her for a week and could we get the two men together. I said that would be great...Friday was to be my dad's 87th birthday. We would get together for dinner.
What fun seeing this man and meeting some of his family members. What laughter echoed throughout the restaurant. The stories told and the songs sung (by Lee) were hilarious. Dad was honored with a new Marine cap, a new Swiss army knife (since the other one had been confiscated by TSA when dad flew to PA with my brothers), and a Marine T-shirt. The restaurant gave dad a dessert for his birthday and sang to him. He and Lee shared his peach cobbler ala mode.
His daughter and I spoke about having Lee come on Sunday to my home to spend another day with dad. We arranged to make the "drop off" Sunday at noon and then we went to my dad's house to pick him up, and have Lee see dad's motorized scooter he uses to go grocery shopping. We came to the house and the two talked of old times. My dad occasionally closing his eyes while listening, and Lee commenting to him to "walk up. I will ask questions later". Dad would assure him he was listening.
During the hours of the afternoon and through dinner and sitting afterwards at the table, Lee told and retold the story of going to Panama and stories of the Civil War (which they were NOT in), and stories of Pennsylvania. What a great wealth of information was gathered that evening. When Dad was taken home, Lee went with him and then was to be picked up. Dad asked Lee for "his" Marine cap back (Lee said he had forgotten his so dad allowed him to wear one of his) but Lee said it was his. The confusion was due to the fact that they had bought the hats together on a road trip and made sure they were identical. Dad was a little upset but Lee was adament the cap was his. Later investigation proved Lee had both hats. Dad was glad he would get his cap back.
We will be meeting Lee and his family again this weekend as his family drives him to meet his other daughter in central FL. That will not be the end of the story however. Since Lee now lives closer to dad, we can make weekend trips to where Lee lives and allow them time to visit. At some point, both will be unable to travel to visit each other, but until that time, we want to keep this 75 yr old friendship alive and well.