This weekend, I am honoring my father.
By Marie Coyle
@MarieCoyle (38704)
November 10, 2023 12:44pm CST
And my two grandfathers, and many other family members that have served in our armed forces.
Today is my Dad's birthday. He has been gone for many years, he would have been 93. I didn't get enough time with him--long story. We did try to make up for the lost time in his later years.
This is his college graduation picture. He looks SO young! His hair turned completely white when he was 30, so I remember him with white hair, not black. He was a corporal in the army, and served in Korea. He did share his army years with me after I was grown, we had many talks about it.
Dad was a fun Dad. He loved a good laugh. He had his faults, we all do. When he died, at his memorial service I had several people say that as soon as they met him, he had to talk about his two daughters, show the pictures in his wallet, and brag about his grandchildren. It made me feel good to know that he did that.
Do you have veterans in your family?
11 people like this
9 responses
@JudyEv (342112)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Nov 23
@MarieCoyle I've heard of others where their hair has turned white almost overnight.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (38704)
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11 Nov 23
@JudyEv
Mine pretty much did that. It seemed one day it was red and then right away all red and white, and then just white. I have one reddish little streak left. I don't color my hair, I just embrace the white. 
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (38704)
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11 Nov 23
Mine didn't turn as young as his did, but when it did, it happened nearly instantly.
My oldest son has black hair (or, he did!) he started gettting gray in the temples at about 25.
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@CarolDM (203422)
• Nashville, Tennessee
13 Nov 23
@MarieCoyle You are welcome. I lost mine in 2017. Miss him every day. Happy Birthday to yours by the way. 
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@MarieCoyle (38704)
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14 Nov 23
@CarolDM
When someone is really missed, you know he or she did something right. Stil wish I could have had more time with him, but thankful for what I did have. Thank you, Carol.
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@MarieCoyle (38704)
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13 Nov 23
Thank you, Carol.
I will always miss him. Best sense of humor, ever, and he loved us very much.
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@MarieCoyle (38704)
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10 Nov 23
While listening to news this morning, I discovered in the US we lose 131 veterans per day now. It was of course said that the numbers would get higher very soon, as the WW2 vets are in their late 90's.
One of my Dad's friends was a cook in the army, Dad said he always thought that would be interesting and fun.
1 person likes this
@dodo19 (47336)
• Beaconsfield, Quebec
10 Nov 23
@MarieCoyle Wow that's quite a few. It does make some sense, but it's still quite a bit.
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@MarieCoyle (38704)
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10 Nov 23
@dodo19
The years do seem to fly by, faster and faster. No more WW1 vets left now, of course. Before many more years pass, the WW2 vets will be only in our memories, as well. 
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@Dena91 (16686)
• United States
11 Nov 23
Thankful for your Dad and others who have served in the military.
My grand father (WW2), father (Vietnam), brother (peacetime) , uncles, (WW2, Korea, Vietnam), father in law (WW2),cousins (Iraq) and nephews (currently). Not to mention many friends. I have always had someone in service serving during my lifetime.
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@MarieCoyle (38704)
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11 Nov 23
Wow, you certainly have a lot of vets in your family. I am sure you are very proud of them.
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@LindaOHio (181717)
• United States
11 Nov 23
That's a great picture. My dad served in the Navy; and my husband served in the Army. Have a great weekend.
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@LindaOHio (181717)
• United States
12 Nov 23
@MarieCoyle Thank you. He sounds like a very special man.
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@MarieCoyle (38704)
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11 Nov 23
Thank you, Linda.
I still miss him a lot. He loved my children beyond measure, and they miss him too--the only child that doesn't remember him, I adopted after my Dad passed away. But he's heard stories and has enjoyed that.
I hope your weekend goes well, too.
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (93903)
• United States
10 Nov 23
Oh, Marie, that is special. I am very appreciative of his service. I had one uncle in the Navy, two in the Army (both served in Vietnam), and I currently have two cousins in the Marines, and one in the Air Force. I don’t know about my extended family.
@AmbiePam (93903)
• United States
10 Nov 23
@MarieCoyle They do a job I could never do.
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@MarieCoyle (38704)
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10 Nov 23
@AmbiePam
I don't think I could have, either. But a person never really knows how strong they actually are, until they test the waters!
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@MarieCoyle (38704)
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10 Nov 23
So many never came home at all. I always felt so fortunate that mine did! It sounds like you have a lot of military members in your family, Amber.
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@Tampa_girl7 (50526)
• United States
10 Nov 23
My daddy served for 30 years in the Air Force. He was in Vietnam for 18 months.
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@MarieCoyle (38704)
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10 Nov 23
Thirty years is a very long time! Very admirable!
I live near a big old Air Force base that closed- there is still a small airstrip etc but that’s it. Many vets live in this area that were stationed here for many years. Many homes, apartments, and townhomes still out there and being rented or sold.
@RasmaSandra (80736)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
10 Nov 23
Your dad was a very handsome man. Glad you have great memories of your dad, My parents had to flee from their homeland Latvia during WW II. The Soviet army was after them, Then time spent in Germany and finally they arrived in NYC in 1951.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (38704)
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11 Nov 23
You have a very interesting history. How horrid to think of the Soviet army after them..we know it happened, of course, but still...
I think he was very handsome. His parents came from Ireland. I don't look like my Dad, oddly I look almost exactly like my grandmother did, his mother. She was a redhead and so was I. My little sister looked a lot like Dad, she had the black hair, too. Thank you, Rasma.
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