My Beloved Sister - Our Father's Death

My Dear Sister

To lose your mother and beloved father figure - his grandfather - suddenly at ages 16 and 17 - and then to suffer 4 years of near continual death, blood, gore, on the beaches of the south pacific at such a tender age, unimaginable. He came back from that and did what he was in effect told to do, repress and pretend. And so he built a new life on a foundation of running from demons and lies - about his past, his family, even where he was born - walking away from everyone in his family, even favored grandparents and uncles, in hopes of recreating his reality. Of course he needed to have faced his demons not try to bury them - and he needed help. Not going to happen in 1945. It emotionally crippled him, consumed him the rest of his life. He had nightmares of WWII right up until the day he died.

He taught me how to love a woman. I knew his gentle heart - knew it - but received precious little of it. It wasn't all bad. In the end I'm ok with it. I know he loved me - loathed me - but loved me - feeling was mutual.

My siblings and I are damaged goods - as everyone is each in their own way I suppose. Perhaps my family is in effect some of the last casualties of world war and horrible circumstance.

Thanks for being one of the good ones.

I really do love you.

Charlie