I had a second cousin who served in Korea, my fathers first cousin. We were not close and aged many years apart, but I was in charge of taking care of my elderly father. We rode down to the funeral of his mother in my father's younger brother's car. He was pushing 80 to 90 MPH down there. I told him, I could drive as we could have all died, the way he was driving. He was very stubborn, and thought he could drive safely, which he was not doing at all. We were on back country roads for most of the trip to my 2nd cousin's mothers funeral, right next to a river. One slip-up and we all would have died. We made it, just barely, with me watching the road for my estranged uncle, who was also a WW II veteran, never having seen combat, as a supply clerk, away from all the Nazi's. He was not about to listen to me has he was a cheater, who even bragged about having sex with French women, the only Christmas my father and I spent at his home, as I believe my own mother knew he was a wife-cheater and they hated each other to the bone. She also ranted on about my uncle as well, during her drunken rants.
My aunt was a very good woman and I always liked her. Once we got down to the funeral of my second cousin's mother's funeral, he took offense in me being there, making a remark that I must be looking out for my father. Which I was, but this man was quite imposing, standing in at 6 1/2 feet tall, the tallest person in my family, by far. Needless to say but I let that go easily, as it was his mother whom I did not know and never met, so I suppose he was defensive. I shut my mouth, and allowed everyone a nice service. This man served fighting in the coldness of Korea, when I was not even born. I knew my place and I kept my silence right to the end of the service.
Somehow, my uncle slowed down on the 95 mile trip back to our hometown, else I would not be here writing this missive. Old folks like he was, kill lots of innocent young people and he had his license to drive revoked upon his next visit to the Department of Motor Vehicles, but he was an "Expletive-Deleted" and kept on driving, until he was too ill to drive before his own death at 91 years of age at home with my aunt taking care of him. She developed Alzheimer's Disease and her two children, my female cousin's, were older then I by 8-10 years, so between my mother hating their father and visa-versa, I was not contacted for her funeral. I place the same fake flowers on their graves, and and the American Flag on my late uncles' grave, right next to her grave, as they last.
I do the same thing for my own parent's and grandparent's, and for my aunt, whom I never met. She, despite being an athlete, died at 15 years of age., due to pneumonia, as Penicillin had not been invented in 1929. She has a picture on her grave stone that must have cost my grandparent's a ton of cash they would have had to spend lots on, as they were not wealthy at all, but owned thier own home, as did most.
My second cousin died at 89 years of age. I did not attend his funeral, as I barely knew the man, but I will always remember him. His younger brother might still be alive, but it's quite doubtful, as he'd be extremely old by now. He worked for Uncle Sam, carrying "things" for them from the East Coast and back, packing a piece, and a briefcase locked to his wrist by a handcuff he'd have had no key for. That is all I really know about him, besides the fact that he was a very decent gentleman, whom I happened to like, more-so then his older brother, but he likely didn't serve in warfare, like his older brother had to and did. I admire them both for their service to our country.
My aunt was a very good woman and I always liked her. Once we got down to the funeral of my second cousin's mother's funeral, he took offense in me being there, making a remark that I must be looking out for my father. Which I was, but this man was quite imposing, standing in at 6 1/2 feet tall, the tallest person in my family, by far. Needless to say but I let that go easily, as it was his mother whom I did not know and never met, so I suppose he was defensive. I shut my mouth, and allowed everyone a nice service. This man served fighting in the coldness of Korea, when I was not even born. I knew my place and I kept my silence right to the end of the service.
Somehow, my uncle slowed down on the 95 mile trip back to our hometown, else I would not be here writing this missive. Old folks like he was, kill lots of innocent young people and he had his license to drive revoked upon his next visit to the Department of Motor Vehicles, but he was an "Expletive-Deleted" and kept on driving, until he was too ill to drive before his own death at 91 years of age at home with my aunt taking care of him. She developed Alzheimer's Disease and her two children, my female cousin's, were older then I by 8-10 years, so between my mother hating their father and visa-versa, I was not contacted for her funeral. I place the same fake flowers on their graves, and and the American Flag on my late uncles' grave, right next to her grave, as they last.
I do the same thing for my own parent's and grandparent's, and for my aunt, whom I never met. She, despite being an athlete, died at 15 years of age., due to pneumonia, as Penicillin had not been invented in 1929. She has a picture on her grave stone that must have cost my grandparent's a ton of cash they would have had to spend lots on, as they were not wealthy at all, but owned thier own home, as did most.
My second cousin died at 89 years of age. I did not attend his funeral, as I barely knew the man, but I will always remember him. His younger brother might still be alive, but it's quite doubtful, as he'd be extremely old by now. He worked for Uncle Sam, carrying "things" for them from the East Coast and back, packing a piece, and a briefcase locked to his wrist by a handcuff he'd have had no key for. That is all I really know about him, besides the fact that he was a very decent gentleman, whom I happened to like, more-so then his older brother, but he likely didn't serve in warfare, like his older brother had to and did. I admire them both for their service to our country.
