Veteran Clark D. Hudson

It's Veteran's Day.  A day to pay tribute to active duty and military veterans.  My father was a Veteran.  He served in the Navy during the Vietnam War.

My father never talked about his experiences in the military, really.  The closest he got to talking about it was saying how beautiful Thailand was and that he was going to retire there.  I also know that he spent time in the Philippines. 

 But talking in detail about any experiences?  Nope.  I wonder at times how much of his drinking problem and how emotionally cut off he was caused by his experiences in the Navy.  Maybe not at all.  Maybe tremendously.  I'll never know.

 I do know - looking back - that he felt things deeply and profoundly but did his damnedest to hide and/or drown them.

And that certainly played a role in his tragically early death. 

I feel the emptiness every day of not having been close to my father.  He was there for his family in many ways that matter.  But he was emotionally not there and that certainly effected the path my life took.  I also wonder what would have happened had he lived.

Since there is no way to know, there is no sense dwelling on it.  I need to count myself lucky for the time that we did have together.  It wasn't an ideal relationship, but it is more then some others get!

So today I am thankful for those that have served to keep this country free.  Happy Veteran's Day to them!

And I want to include another picture - of my Grandfather, Gilbert Besaw, who served in WWII:

I miss both of these great men every single day...