SwiftVets.com

[Chuck54]

This is my send off to an old vet that I will not forget, who died last week. He saw combat at Guadalcanal. He was 87.

I won't mention his name for privacy sake, I'll call him Andy. I only saw him twice, once last October and again last May. We had an adversarial "business" relationship (yes he was active at 87) which will continue with his heirs. It was a real tough spot to be in for me because I liked him, a lot.

Before meeting Andy I was repeatedly warned that he was a cantankerous old fart, a stubborn SOB that spits fire and brimstone. They were right. From the get go I had to fend off his repeated questioning of why I was before him, interrupting his day. He warmed up quickly though because I held my own and he respected that. From then on we were friends. We finished the 2 hour meeting both in good spirits and parted with a sincere and friendly handshake. However, the results of the meeting ultimately did not go in his favor.

So, we met again in may, this time my boss with with me. We met at his ranch, Andy had his attorney with him. They confronted us as if they were ready for a fistfight. I looked the old man in the eye and I could tell right away he would have not have balked at that. I was already having fun, though unhappy at such onerous duty against a likeable old veteran. The four of us engaged in heated negotiations, nose to nose but not seeing eye to eye. Andy spewed out a litany of cuss words at me, similar to Cheney v Leahy, which I did not return. Just took it and let the old vet blow off steam. We finally came to an agreement that had potential to work, iffen certain things were done.

About a week after that meeting, Andy called and spoke with someone else in the office about a different matter. Then he asked Joan if she knew me. She said yes, and he spewed a litany of glowing praise for me regarding principles and integrity. Joan told me about it later. That was completely unexpected and made my week. He died before I could speak to him again. We only met twice, but I had lost a friend.

God has you now Andy....Father you have my sympathy.

This is my third send off for a WW2 vet, first was Ed who spent a year in the Phillipine jungles, then Terry, Navy cruisers, mine sweeping, and now Andy. All of them have made a memorable impression on me. Ed, Terry, Andy, wherever you are, you did good, thank you for your service to country, and thank you for enriching my life..
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"And no pair has been more wrong, more loudly, more often, than the two Senators from Massachusetts, Ted Kennedy and John Kerry"

Zell Miller