Semper Fi...
 

From Maggie's Farm:

"My dad Angelo was in the hospital in Tacoma, Washington. A former
Marine and veteran of the Korean War, he was having his third knee
replacement surgery. A long and very painful operation was going to be
made even worse because dad was going through it alone. There was no
one to hold his hand, no familiar soft voices to reassure him. His
wife was ill and unable to accompany him or even visit during his
weeklong stay. My sisters and brother lived in California, and I lived
even farther away, in Indiana. There wasn't even anyone to drive him
to the hospital, so he had arrived that morning by cab.

The thought of my dad lying there alone was more than I could stand.
But what could I do from here?

I picked up the phone and called information for the
Puyallup,Washington, Marine Corps recruiting station, where I joined
the Marines ten years before. I thought that, if I could talk to a
Marine and explain the situation, maybe one of them would visit my
dad.

I called the number. A man answered the phone and in a very confident
voice said, "United States Marines, Sergeant XXXX. May I help you?"

Feeling just as certain, I replied, "Sergeant XXXX, you may find this
request a little strange, but this is why I am calling." I proceeded
to tell him who I was and that my father was also a former Marine and
100 percent disabled from the Korean War. I explained that he was in
the hospital, alone, without anyone to visit and asked if Sergeant
XXXX would please go and see him.

Without hesitation, he answered, "Absolutely."

Then I asked, "If I send flowers to the recruiting station, would you
deliver them to my dad when you go to the hospital?"

"Ma'am, I will be happy to take the flowers to your dad. I'll give you
my address. You send them, and I will make sure that he receives
them," he replied.

The next morning, I sent the flowers to Sergeant XXXX's office just as
we had planned. I went to work and, that evening, I returned home and
phoned my dad to inquire about his surprise visitor.

If you have ever talked with a small child after that child has just
seen Santa Claus, you will understand the glee I heard in my dad's
voice. "I was just waking up when I thought I saw two Marines in their
dress blue uniforms standing at the foot of my bed," he told me
excitedly. "I thought I had died and gone to Heaven. But they were
really there!"

I began to laugh, partly at his excitement, but also because he didn't
even mention his operation. He felt so honored; two Marines he had
never met took time out to visit an old Marine like him. He told me
again and again how sharp they looked and how all the nurses thought
he was so important.

"But how did you ever get them to do that"? he asked me.

"It was easy. We're all Marines, Dad, past and present. It's the
bond."

After hanging up with my dad, I called Sergeant XXXX to thank him for
visiting my dad. And to thank him for the extra things he did to make
it special: wearing his dress blue uniform, bringing another Marine
along. He even took a digital camera with him. He had pictures taken
of the two Marines with my dad right beside his bed. That evening, he
emailed them to me so I could see for myself that my dad was not alone
and that he was going to be okay.

As for the flowers, they hardly mattered, but I was glad for the
opportunity to express my feelings. The card read: "Daddy, I didn't
want just anyone bringing you flowers, so I sent the World's Finest.

Semper Fi."

-------

Damn straight.

Semper Fi...
 

Wizard of Woodstock wrote:
From Maggie's Farm:

"My dad Angelo was in the hospital in Tacoma, Washington. A former
Marine and veteran of the Korean War, he was having his third knee
replacement surgery. A long and very painful operation was going to be
made even worse because dad was going through it alone. There was no
one to hold his hand, no familiar soft voices to reassure him. His
wife was ill and unable to accompany him or even visit during his
weeklong stay. My sisters and brother lived in California, and I lived
even farther away, in Indiana. There wasn't even anyone to drive him
to the hospital, so he had arrived that morning by cab.

The thought of my dad lying there alone was more than I could stand.
But what could I do from here?

I picked up the phone and called information for the
Puyallup,Washington, Marine Corps recruiting station, where I joined
the Marines ten years before. I thought that, if I could talk to a
Marine and explain the situation, maybe one of them would visit my
dad.

I called the number. A man answered the phone and in a very confident
voice said, "United States Marines, Sergeant XXXX. May I help you?"

Feeling just as certain, I replied, "Sergeant XXXX, you may find this
request a little strange, but this is why I am calling." I proceeded
to tell him who I was and that my father was also a former Marine and
100 percent disabled from the Korean War. I explained that he was in
the hospital, alone, without anyone to visit and asked if Sergeant
XXXX would please go and see him.

Without hesitation, he answered, "Absolutely."

Then I asked, "If I send flowers to the recruiting station, would you
deliver them to my dad when you go to the hospital?"

"Ma'am, I will be happy to take the flowers to your dad. I'll give you
my address. You send them, and I will make sure that he receives
them," he replied.

The next morning, I sent the flowers to Sergeant XXXX's office just as
we had planned. I went to work and, that evening, I returned home and
phoned my dad to inquire about his surprise visitor.

If you have ever talked with a small child after that child has just
seen Santa Claus, you will understand the glee I heard in my dad's
voice. "I was just waking up when I thought I saw two Marines in their
dress blue uniforms standing at the foot of my bed," he told me
excitedly. "I thought I had died and gone to Heaven. But they were
really there!"

I began to laugh, partly at his excitement, but also because he didn't
even mention his operation. He felt so honored; two Marines he had
never met took time out to visit an old Marine like him. He told me
again and again how sharp they looked and how all the nurses thought
he was so important.

"But how did you ever get them to do that"? he asked me.

"It was easy. We're all Marines, Dad, past and present. It's the
bond."

After hanging up with my dad, I called Sergeant XXXX to thank him for
visiting my dad. And to thank him for the extra things he did to make
it special: wearing his dress blue uniform, bringing another Marine
along. He even took a digital camera with him. He had pictures taken
of the two Marines with my dad right beside his bed. That evening, he
emailed them to me so I could see for myself that my dad was not alone
and that he was going to be okay.

As for the flowers, they hardly mattered, but I was glad for the
opportunity to express my feelings. The card read: "Daddy, I didn't
want just anyone bringing you flowers, so I sent the World's Finest.

Semper Fi."

-------

Damn straight.

I like the part about the third verse.

Semper Fi...
 

On Wed, 03 Jun 2009 18:43:42 -0400, Wizard of Woodstock
wrote:

From Maggie's Farm:

"My dad Angelo was in the hospital in Tacoma, Washington. A former
Marine and veteran of the Korean War, he was having his third knee
replacement surgery. A long and very painful operation was going to be
made even worse because dad was going through it alone. There was no
one to hold his hand, no familiar soft voices to reassure him. His
wife was ill and unable to accompany him or even visit during his
weeklong stay. My sisters and brother lived in California, and I lived
even farther away, in Indiana. There wasn't even anyone to drive him
to the hospital, so he had arrived that morning by cab.

The thought of my dad lying there alone was more than I could stand.
But what could I do from here?

I picked up the phone and called information for the
Puyallup,Washington, Marine Corps recruiting station, where I joined
the Marines ten years before. I thought that, if I could talk to a
Marine and explain the situation, maybe one of them would visit my
dad.

I called the number. A man answered the phone and in a very confident
voice said, "United States Marines, Sergeant XXXX. May I help you?"

Feeling just as certain, I replied, "Sergeant XXXX, you may find this
request a little strange, but this is why I am calling." I proceeded
to tell him who I was and that my father was also a former Marine and
100 percent disabled from the Korean War. I explained that he was in
the hospital, alone, without anyone to visit and asked if Sergeant
XXXX would please go and see him.

Without hesitation, he answered, "Absolutely."

Then I asked, "If I send flowers to the recruiting station, would you
deliver them to my dad when you go to the hospital?"

"Ma'am, I will be happy to take the flowers to your dad. I'll give you
my address. You send them, and I will make sure that he receives
them," he replied.

The next morning, I sent the flowers to Sergeant XXXX's office just as
we had planned. I went to work and, that evening, I returned home and
phoned my dad to inquire about his surprise visitor.

If you have ever talked with a small child after that child has just
seen Santa Claus, you will understand the glee I heard in my dad's
voice. "I was just waking up when I thought I saw two Marines in their
dress blue uniforms standing at the foot of my bed," he told me
excitedly. "I thought I had died and gone to Heaven. But they were
really there!"

I began to laugh, partly at his excitement, but also because he didn't
even mention his operation. He felt so honored; two Marines he had
never met took time out to visit an old Marine like him. He told me
again and again how sharp they looked and how all the nurses thought
he was so important.

"But how did you ever get them to do that"? he asked me.

"It was easy. We're all Marines, Dad, past and present. It's the
bond."

After hanging up with my dad, I called Sergeant XXXX to thank him for
visiting my dad. And to thank him for the extra things he did to make
it special: wearing his dress blue uniform, bringing another Marine
along. He even took a digital camera with him. He had pictures taken
of the two Marines with my dad right beside his bed. That evening, he
emailed them to me so I could see for myself that my dad was not alone
and that he was going to be okay.

As for the flowers, they hardly mattered, but I was glad for the
opportunity to express my feelings. The card read: "Daddy, I didn't
want just anyone bringing you flowers, so I sent the World's Finest.

Semper Fi."

-------

Damn straight.

That's awesome, great story.

But what's wrong with his kids? Not one of them could go out to be
with him? Yikes, I'd never be able to live with myself if my sibs and
I couldn't arrange for family to be there for support.

Semper Fi...
 

On Jun 4, 12:43*am, jps wrote:
On Wed, 03 Jun 2009 18:43:42 -0400, Wizard of Woodstock





wrote:
From Maggie's Farm:

"My dad Angelo was in the hospital in Tacoma, Washington. A former
Marine and veteran of the Korean War, he was having his third knee
replacement surgery. A long and very painful operation was going to be
made even worse because dad was going through it alone. There was no
one to hold his hand, no familiar soft voices to reassure him. His
wife was ill and unable to accompany him or even visit during his
weeklong stay. My sisters and brother lived in California, and I lived
even farther away, in Indiana. There wasn't even anyone to drive him
to the hospital, so he had arrived that morning by cab.

The thought of my dad lying there alone was more than I could stand.
But what could I do from here?

I picked up the phone and called information for the
Puyallup,Washington, Marine Corps recruiting station, where I joined
the Marines ten years before. I thought that, if I could talk to a
Marine and explain the situation, maybe one of them would visit my
dad.

I called the number. A man answered the phone and in a very confident
voice said, "United States Marines, Sergeant XXXX. May I help you?"

Feeling just as certain, I replied, "Sergeant XXXX, you may find this
request a little strange, but this is why I am calling." I proceeded
to tell him who I was and that my father was also a former Marine and
100 percent disabled from the Korean War. I explained that he was in
the hospital, alone, without anyone to visit and asked if Sergeant
XXXX would please go and see him.

Without hesitation, he answered, "Absolutely."

Then I asked, "If I send flowers to the recruiting station, would you
deliver them to my dad when you go to the hospital?"

"Ma'am, I will be happy to take the flowers to your dad. I'll give you
my address. You send them, and I will make sure that he receives
them," he replied.

The next morning, I sent the flowers to Sergeant XXXX's office just as
we had planned. I went to work and, that evening, I returned home and
phoned my dad to inquire about his surprise visitor.

If you have ever talked with a small child after that child has just
seen Santa Claus, you will understand the glee I heard in my dad's
voice. "I was just waking up when I thought I saw two Marines in their
dress blue uniforms standing at the foot of my bed," he told me
excitedly. "I thought I had died and gone to Heaven. But they were
really there!"

I began to laugh, partly at his excitement, but also because he didn't
even mention his operation. He felt so honored; two Marines he had
never met took time out to visit an old Marine like him. He told me
again and again how sharp they looked and how all the nurses thought
he was so important.

"But how did you ever get them to do that"? he asked me.

"It was easy. We're all Marines, Dad, past and present. It's the
bond."

After hanging up with my dad, I called Sergeant XXXX to thank him for
visiting my dad. And to thank him for the extra things he did to make
it special: wearing his dress blue uniform, bringing another Marine
along. He even took a digital camera with him. He had pictures taken
of the two Marines with my dad right beside his bed. That evening, he
emailed them to me so I could see for myself that my dad was not alone
and that he was going to be okay.

As for the flowers, they hardly mattered, but I was glad for the
opportunity to express my feelings. The card read: "Daddy, I didn't
want just anyone bringing you flowers, so I sent the World's Finest.

Semper Fi."

-------

Damn straight.

That's awesome, great story.

But what's wrong with his kids? *Not one of them could go out to be
with him? *Yikes, I'd never be able to live with myself if my sibs and
I couldn't arrange for family to be there for support.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Sometimes things are beyond someone's control. Quit being such an ass.