My heritage of veterans in three countries

Do you have favorite veterans in your family, in your life?
I started out to write simply about my two favorite veterans, but the more I thought, and looked at photos and memories, the harder and more emotional it became. 
I come from a long heritage of veterans from three countries. 

My favorite veteran, M/Sgt. Vance Clark, USAF

Two years ago I sat in the Albuquerque airport, sketching the Manzano mountains, a day after burying my favorite uncle and one of my favorite veterans, Mike, in the Santa Fe National Cemetery. Search this blog for veterans or Mike, and you'll find numerous posts over the past few years.
But he's not my favorite of course. First-born son, M/Sgt. Vance C. Clark, USAF, holds that rank. There's no way I can put in words how proud I am of him, of his patriotism and loyalty.

And I have known many veterans as other relatives and friends in my life, including many former students. If I try to list them all, I'll leave some out, but they have been blessings to me, not necessarily for their service, but for just who they are. But some have to be mentioned, and every time I think of one, another name comes up. 
Stop and think about how entwined veterans lives are with this country, with our lives. I won't use the overused word "hero" to describe them, because most would decline the term. But it is appropriate to honor them today and tomorrow for what they mean to all of us, in so many ways.

Cdr. Steve Curry, USN

I'd have to add Col. Charles Fleming, USMC, who was a colleague at OSU, and helped me earn my doctoral degree. He's since paid the price for Agent Orange, but I so remember having to celebrate the Marines birthday every year. 
I've been blessed with many former students who were veterans. They are more mature and focused on their studies that most students. They don't gloat nor wave the flag, and in fact, if the enrollment sheet didn't specify "veteran," you wouldn't know it in most cases.
 Near the top would be Commander Steve Curry, US Navy, a former student who has remained a good friend, and two years ago booked me on the USS Abe Lincoln for a Tiger Cruise. More recently there has been Andy Jensen, who shares Ray Bradbury and a love of reading and writing. There have been many more. 

Petty Officer 2 Mike Clark, Grandmother, Dad

Uncle Mike was my Dad's favorite brother, hence my middle name.  But two other brothers served, Rex and Champ in the US Army. Dad didn't serve of course, having lost his leg jumping a freight train in 1932, but he spent much of his life drawing portraits of veterans.
I know from genealogy work from Vance, Dad, and my aunt Vera "Sissie" Culp that my ancestors served in The Revolution, War of 1812, Mexican War and Spanish American War. Not sure of WWI.

CSA grave, Vicksburg

And I can't conclude without honoring those ancestors of mine who served in two other countries, the Republic of Texas, and the Confederate States of America.
They're in my blood.
It's little wonder that I am drawn to the POW/MIA flags, and to the veterans' gravestones in cemeteries, or my affection for wandering down the ranks of graves in national cemeteries, whether at Santa Fe, Arlington, Gettysburg, Vicksburg, Fort Smith, and elsewhere.
Join me and snap a salute to your veterans, past, present, and for the future.

First day of school duty

Final port of call, Santa Fe

Eternal duty, Vicksburg National Cemetery

The veteran I knew best--Memorial Day thoughts

Because my Dad lost his leg jumping a freight train in Tucumcari in 1932, he did not serve in World War II. But three of his brothers did. Rex, Mike and Champ. Rex and Champ were in the Army, Rex in England, and Champ in the Aleutians. Mike joined the Navy.
It's uncle Mike who became my favorite uncle, me carrying his name as my middle name. He was the bachelor, the traveler. He sent me a balsawood, battery operated PT boat from Japan while he was serving in Korea. He taught me how to kick a football in Fort Worth. From me, he caught the mumps when we lived in Albuquerque. He showed slides of his travels to Machu Picchu and other places, working for the state department teaching English in Ecuador, Libya, Iran, Mali, Tunisia. He settled in Santa Fe, teaching at the famed Institute of American Indian Arts until retirement, making friends on all of the pueblos. Then as the years passed, we lost touch, until about 15 years ago  when I needed him most, his Santa Fe home becoming a place of refuge. 

Uncle Mike, Susan and I at La Fonda a few years ago

From him I learned much about my Dad and uncles I'd never known, in our long talks at the foot of the Sangre de Christo Mountains as the setting sun turned them purple and red, viewed from his porch. Sailor's tales of WWII and Korea added to my knowledge of history and family. We'd "run up the rooster," as he would say. A former signalman, the semaphore flag for cocktail hour was a rooster. Rum and coke, "Cuba Libre," would add to the flavor of the evenings.
Now his ashes are buried in Santa Fe National Cemetery. We buried him Nov. 10, 2011 in the place he had called home for 30 some years, just across the highway from his home, and within sight of the Sangre de Cristos.
I know this about veterans on this Memorial Day...all of them have rich stories, all of them affect more lives than they ever know. Saludos a los todos veteranos. Muchas Gracias!

Mike's view of the Sangre de Christos

Geezer Comedy at Toyota--the quotes

Geezer A--"Institutional Survivor" cap. 

Geezer B--Moved here from Virginia.
Setting--Customer service area at Fowler Toyota in Norman

 A: "The wife likes to rearrange the bedroom every year. About the time I get used to it, she changes it. When you get up in the middle of the night, I have to stop and think where the bed is."

B: "Could be dangerous."

A: "Yeah, I don't want to sit down on a table and knock over a lamp."

B: "You retired?"

A: "Yes. I was a chaplain in the Air Force and then a pastor. Tried to get hired here  in nursing home management. Told me my MA degree meant I was overqualified, and besides, I wouldn't be around long enough. You?"

B: "Yes, after 27 years in the Army. Wife didn't think it was fair, so she retired. Then she started pawing the ground, went back to work. They didn't give her a raise, but a fancy title."

A: "You from around here?"

B: "No, moved here from Virginia 7 years ago because the wife wanted to be near the kids. I came out to hunt housing.    But I saw a house in a place called Rivendell. Wife has read Tolkien three times and likes the name. I'm lobbying for a double wide on 20 acres. We live in Rivendell."

A: "You sure are easy to get along with for a former military man."

B: "I am...after 50 years of marriage, I've learned to say 'Yes, Ma'am.'"

A: "I know. We've only been married 43 years, but you learn to go along."

A: "The world is full of grumpy people."

B: "Yes, too bad. I wake up every morning on the green side of dirt--made it through the night. It's a good life."

A: "I look like a cadaver and it took me a hell of a long time to get this way."

B: "When you bump into things, you learn where they are."

A: " I have a lot of fun with this hat. People look at it and don't know whether to talk to me or not."

A: "My sister and I haven't got along. A year ago she wrote me a letter telling me her counselor told her not to be in contact with her. So I didn't, until recently. I sent her a card, saying we weren't getting any younger, and I'd hate to die and not be reconciled. She called me and cried.

B: "Tell her to get a different counselor."

B: "I get along with the dogs better than the kids. We've got eight grandchildren, son in Austin, daughter in Atlanta. The three girls are in tournaments, so wife's going down to hang around the house with whoever doesn't have a tournament."

A: "We've got five grandkids, and they're all busy this summer."

B: "That's good. I support all these grandcritters as long as they outside doing something. Kids are supposed to go outside and get muddy and throw rocks and break something. Not sit inside on these electronic games."