My sister has sent me a note on this event yesterday. It says, as getting older, she is recalling of our parents everyday. The older we became, the closer we felt our parents, as she said. There must be many things we could not understand in our lives until we reach their ages.
She has written about a memory with our father. When she was a small child, he used to make baskets for farming for his job. It was the day of poverty. She went to the basket making place with him. In the evening, coming back home, he carried her in a basket on his back. On the way home where our mother prepared supper for them, they have sung a nursing rhyme. A song to tell us to go home since it is the sunset. It says, in the crimson sky of sunset, let's come home since crows sing. Being swung in the basket, she saw the bright colors of the sunset. She thanked him for having been our father.
It is only a trifling memory within a family to the other people. It is still a fact that tells us the life has been delivered from him to us with his love and effort. We are thankful to him.
In addition, at this point of the age, I should mention of his experience in the WWII. He has compulsorily recruited to the army in 1939. He had to spend a few years in China as a soldier. He has had experiences that the war could be so cruel to people as well as to soldiers. He seemed to have seen and, possibly, to have been involved in the irrational as well as inhuman events over there. He has spent his precious 6 years of his twenties in the war. Since the war was over, he has had a firm belief against any movement toward arming. throughout his life, it has been one of his own problems who was responsible for the war. He was against the emperor system, which was one of the major causes having lead our country to that devastation. What would he say knowing the political movement for the right of collective self defence at present? It must be a nightmare for him which leads us to another war abroad.
My sister closed her mail telling us to have a family reunion for the memory of father in the near future. It would be a nice chance to see her and the others at a place and to recall all we owe to father.
Our father with my daughter. Father might be a bit over 60 years of age. He has enjoyed farming in the yard like I do right now.
I spent some time today looking at what information was on the internet about my ancestors. I think it is important that a person knows from where he comes in this world. In my case, a series of pioneers settling in the old west of America. I sense in myself a bit of that same resolve that was necessary to survive in a world that was foreign, hostile and unforgiving. Those attributes have evolved down to me. The photograph of your father and your daughter is quite spell binding to me. I have looked at it for a few days now, thinking about your father and his granddaughter, together in his garden. It comes to me as a photograph of a man who has achieved fulfillment in his life. He has survived a terrible early manhood, fighting a war perpetrated by those that seek what is not their's to have. At 60 years of age, he looks very peaceful and satisfied with his life. I find it to be very honorable of you to have given those of us outside of your life a glimpse of our heritage. You come from good stock.
ReplyDeleteDon, I always wondered why you had moved from warm and pleasant state to Colorado. I know of a bit of your personal reasons but still wonder. Has the pioneer spirit made you do so? The link from your ancestors to you sounds interesting. You might have inherited something from them.
DeleteWe have little information on our folks in the earlier age. Maybe, peasants in a countryside here. I am getting interested more in the relationship with the parents. At this age, I often recall of the parents. Maybe, I am getting so old as our parents used to be in their latest years living together with us. They are coming in my mind as they were. I could understand the good as well as bad aspects of themselves and of their lives. I am still doing the same way as they did. What a continuity of life! I know what they have thought of me at the same age as mine now. Getting older is not a bad thing. We could know what life is for us.
Getting older is not only a good thing, it is a reward. A final opportunity to reflect on one's life, values, heritage and contributions to the future. Not everyone has such an opportunity. Sadly, it is often wasted on self indulgence, self concern and self pity. One really shouldn't look at it as the end of personal existence. We each have had our "share". No one got more, some got less. These last years are the celebration for the years gone by. Thank you for the happy birthday.
DeleteShin
DeleteI was both happy and sad when I read your piece.Happy that your father lived such an honourable life, having a conscience and a feeling for humanity. Sad of course that he has passed away. It made me remember to honourr my father who is still around at 92 years old. He was also in WWII in the RAF as a Spitfire and Tempest pilot. He has put some of his experiences on line.
http://www.hawkertempest.se/index.php/contributions/stories/114-my-time-in-the-raf-by-john-r-davies
Like your father, he hated war and although to some, a hero, he never talks about the war or boasts. In my whole life I think he mentioned it only once or twice.
I am going to see him next month in August. He still enjoys a walk in the sunshine by the river.
John, not to impose on Shin's blog, but I checked out the link to your father's WW2 experiences. That is the most awe inspiring reading I have done in some time. The combat stories gave me chills.
DeleteDon
John,
DeleteThanks for the interesting story your father has had in RAF. However his training and missions might be laborious and dangerous, it has ended in glorious victory. I am pleased for him. There must be so many young people who fought in the same way. Of course, quite some have lost their lives.
My father has not told so much about his experiences in China. It must have been a hell. He meant the japanese army has done brutal to the people there. He has been feeling guilty for that. He had to spend the precious 6 years in his youth in such a circumstance. That duty came from a fanatic militarism in Japan. He hated that so much.
In Japan, due to the beginning of the cold war after WWII, there was not enough investigation for the responsibility of the war conducted. It has preserved the ruling class of the society here without any serious reflection for the past. It has left a big problem until now. The general war, experienced in WWII, causing massive sacrifice to the civilians has made people decide not to appeal to military force. It seems they are forgetting that for now. They say negotiations or talks are powerless and only military force could prevent or resolve the conflict. Is it right? I guess my father or yours might question about it.
Please pass my regards and respect to him. It is good he is still getting along. Have a nice trip back home. Your parents would be very happy to have you home again. See you soon.
Shin
Shin, I greatly enjoyed our QSO on 15M CW. I have some information re solar activities I would like to share with you, but need an email address to forward the information.Thank you for sharing your day with me half way around Mother Earth.
ReplyDeleteMy information is okay on QRZ...George, W4BUW
George,
DeleteThanks for the QSO. Here is my address:nuttycellist2006 at ahoo.ne.jp. Convert at to .
Shin
Don
ReplyDeleteYes... those guys were so young, but experienced so much in such a short time.
I am looking forward to working you on the air one day on my slow old bug key.
John
The keys I use are equally old. It is a fine testament to a generation gone by. One I am quite proud to be a product of. It will be my pleasure to have a nice conversation with you on your "slow old bug key".
ReplyDelete