As a Marine on Foreign Shores - 1946

Now were talking! This is the guy I want to know. Nineteen year old "Marine on Foreign Shores" I don't know what shores. The south pacific was as specific as he ever got about his deployment. He once said that if it wasn't for the bomb he wouldn't have made it back. They were on their way to invade the shores of the Japanese mainland when his armada just stopped. "So don't give me any of this 'No Nukes' crap because without them you wouldn't be here!"

 I was going to post some trade magazine covers with my dad talking with Nixon and Ford, but in one of them a few photocopies fell out that seemed far more interesting. Each of the copies had a sticky note description and it looks like he had put them together for a high school reunion scrap book.

I can't believe this picture. Sitting there with his rifle looking tired. Helmet and rifle with his selves rolled up. I always pictured the end of the war as being quick and easy, Japan surrenders and everyone goes home to start making babies and all is well with the world. This picture is from the year after and he would be there a couple of more before making it to the University of Maryland. His expression tells me he knew there was still a whole lot of work to do. He wasn't home kissing nurses in Time Square.

If I was in this picture and could pull up a stump what would I ask this guy? What would I tell him about his future? If I told him right there that in a few short years he was going to marry a beautiful blond co-ed from a rich family, win the college football national championship and then go on to graduate from law school would he believe it? How could he?

I would tell him in twenty years he was going to have his fourth kid, a son. And this kid is going to ketch himself on fire a lot, collect countless stitches and broken bones and scrapes and bruises and your gonna think he doesn't listen to a word you say, don't, because he's not going to miss a thing and someday he is really going to miss his dumbdumbdaddy-o. A lot. So don't forget to leave him a box full of wisdom.