The Two Men Who Molded My Life

 

Pop and my dad were the two men who molded and shaped
me into the man that I became in life, they both were
extremely hard working men who took care of their own
families first before ever getting what they may have
wanted or needed in life.

Pop was the one who taught me about how to think things
out completely before I ever acted on any situation in
my own life and he also showed me how to play the game
of Chess which taught me patience and to clearly look
at all of my options before acting.

Most of all though he taught me about compassion for
others less fortunate than me. We had many talks about
many things as well about how you deal with the things
one would face in life. He taught how to build many
things as well he was also an excellent carpenter.

And all of these things served me well while serving
over in Vietnam, I had gotten involved with helping
out the orphans that local Catholic nuns were caring
for at the orphanage a few miles down the road from
our remote air strip down in the Delta.

My eyes were really opened up after a visit there
with a couple of my buddies from our base we had
spent any and all of our free time which was very
little and helped the nuns with these kids there
and at the end of my tour of duty there I was sad.

We had over 120 kids we were helping out there
with the nuns and help from our hometowns sending
us many gifts and things like toys and supplies
they sent clothing for all of the kids there too
which they all had needed so desperately as well.

I felt like I was abandoning all of them by leaving
yet if not for the lessons learned growing up from
these two great men, I'm not sure any of our hard
work to help the orphans would have been done there
these two men taught me to help out where I could

Because of them and what they taught me in my life
it was done and we helped to save all of these kids
and gave them a much better life while we were there
I owe everything to both of these great role models
in my life my dad and grandfather Carl (Pop) Gray!!


Terry Sasek - USAF - Binh Thuy Air Base - Vietnam "68-69"
Poetrypoem.com/Alwaysawarrior
All Rights Reserved

Comment On This Poem --- Vote for this poem
The Two Men Who Molded My Life Select a comment or add your own Great Work! Awesome Site! Love It! Two Thumbs Up! looking forward to more!