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Today I stood outside in one place for an hour. I was at Fort Sheridan cemetery in northern Illinois. My father was with me. He started this practice with me in 1970. He had been doing this since he was 16 years old. We haven't missed a year. We stand at a different grave every year. We honor a different fallen shoulder every year. We are each lost in thought and say not a single word. I think of that man's or woman's sacrifice for me, for you, for America. After an hour we went home. We have never spoke a single word during or about this annual outing. Except once, I asked " Why do we do this?" He said " They are Americans, aren't they? " My father is a air force veteran that served during the Korean war. My father is a man of few words. He doesn't need many. Actions speak louder than words. This is a very private personal experience for me. He suggested I post this. I asked him why. In his usual way he taught me. He said only this. " They are Americans, aren't they? " As usual he was right.

Please, tell your Pop thank you.

So I decided to tell a daily story of my fathers wisdom this week. When I was a sophomore in high school the senior bully was sexually asaulting a freshman girl. I dropped him but didn't hurt him to bad. I did tell him if I saw him do that to any female student again I would hurt him bad. He did it again in my view to a sophomore girl. I dropped him again and methodically dislocated his entire right arm. Shoulder through fingers. Obviously a principals office situation. And a police department situation. I was never charged or suspended. Of course my father was contacted. He took me home and I thought boy I'm in trouble now. We went in his den sat down in his easy chairs and he poured each of us a single of his best sipping whiskey. We enjoyed it in silence. I finally asked why? He said I'm saluting both of us. I raised you right. I saw today the man you will be and I'm damn proud of him, though I always proud of you. For me a number of lessons learned. The next day the principal who was tough as nails and one of the good guys privately said to me always stand for what you believe in, at the end of every day you can look yourself in the mirror. Another lesson learned.