12 Comments
User's avatar
Karen Vermunt's avatar

Happy Independence Day to all our US friends. I do like the idea of celebrating a holiday where the focus is on Thanksgiving. From an Antipodean.

pete's avatar

Indeed Happy Independence day and a move closer to 100%

The Outlaw's avatar

And to you too Dr. Hunt and Mr. Casey. Happy Independence Day to you both and Happy Birthday to me too! Yes, I was born on July 4th. When my Momma said-"Daddy, it's time!"--did Daddy rush her out and drive in a Panic to the Hospital? Nope. Daddy FIRST took down the U.S. Flag, folded it Military Style Then took Momma to the Hospital. (when I was born, the U.S. Flag Was Not to be displayed after dark--all 48 stars could not be displayed-yes, I'm that old.) Daddy was a WWII Veteran and was not even an American! My Daddy was a Canadian American Indian and Loved America til the Day he died. In fact he was a Triple Citizen, A Tribal Citizen, which is a thing, a Canadian Citizen where he as born on his First Nations Reserve in Canada--known as Indian Reservations here and granted U.S. Citizenship when he served in WWII.

On a side and what I believe is somewhat ironic, when Anyone greets me with "Happy July 4th!" which is quite often, sadly,--my response is "and have a Merry December 25th to you too!" followed by odd and confused looks---"This guys crazy! He thinks it's Christmas or something. I gotta get away from this Nut!"

Happy Independence Day to you all and May God Bless you and yours and Bless and Protect America!

Robert Peterson's avatar

God bless your father and the values he instilled. Wish I had met him! Blessings every day.

The Outlaw's avatar

Yes sir, miss him dearly--went to Indian School and they'd beat him if he spoke anything other than French or English so he ran away and drove a tractor trailer for a living for awhile in Quebec--he was 14 years old. Finally headed down south, joined the military, got educated and then became an Aeronautical Engineer. Designed things you've maybe seen. All the test tracks in Arizona and California, some work for Boeing but he wouldn't move to Seattle so he declined a job there. Did some work for NASA too designing launch pads and even oversaw the Re-Construction of The London Bridge to Lake Havasu since it was on Apache land, it made it easier to do so. We all had little iron models of the London Bridge he gave us--shoulda kept em.

frank hayes's avatar

I have that replica

The Outlaw's avatar

Awesome! Maybe 2 or 3" long and a gold-ish, fake antiqued Tin replica? Boy I wish we had all kept them---The feeling was "My Daddy moved to Arizona for quite a while but all we got was a cheap, tin replica of some old Bridge."--We never understood the historic Significance of it at the time. All 7 of us received the same replica Bridge.

John Hunt, MD's avatar

I appreciate hearing stories/personal history such as this. Thank you. And thanks to your father too. I was a military man myself, albeit when I was a younger man.

The Outlaw's avatar

Thanks Doc and one of the reasons I added my heritage is that it seems to be in vogue today for some odd reason I don't entirely understand, and I just laugh when folks claim such non-sense. When I grew up, I'd get beaten up just for being Indian so I'd lie and claimed I was Italian or Greek or something other than what I was but they knew and I'd get beat up anyways. Liz Warren comes to mind. In Appalachia almost everyone claims to be Cherokee and I laughed at them too. Yes, my Daddy loved this country and his Daddy was a Skywalker, high rise Iron Worker who helped build Manhattan including The Empire State Building and bridges too. He died doing so in a fall.

Thank you once again and may God Bless, Protect you and yours.

frank hayes's avatar

also have a piece of the bridge.

The Outlaw's avatar

Boy Howdy--keep a hold of that piece.

God Bless.

frank hayes's avatar

wow!

What a heritage.