A fine day, a fine man

My dad, Johnny Walker. Think this is at his discharge. I respect his service, but I respect more what he told me once  that military service is an "honorable thing to do ... but it's not for everyone."

I think he barely made it through because he would have rather been in the Wynoose Bottoms. In fact there are some colorful stories in that regard. I think there were some folks who gave him a ride to his check-in station near St. Louis, only to see him sitting on the Liar's Bench in Noble when they finally cruised through town. And there are some colorful letters from him while in Korea during the late 50s. He didn't really want to be a soldier at that time, but in his late teens/early 20s did what was expected of him.

What I always knew him to be was a protector, and possessing a strong belief in fairness and willing to do what was needed to protect his family, friends, and way of life. For all of those reasons I am very proud to honor him on Veteran's Day.