He’s the best man I’ve ever known. He came from very humble beginnings, joined the Air Force to make a better life for himself, and sent money back to his parents to provide for them, even after he married my mother. He loved my mother, gave her a good life, and built the house I live in now with his own hands.  We lost him in 2019, and we miss him. And if I tend to write heroes who are quiet and stoic and brave, well, I had a great role model.

It’s his birthday today, and I’ll be thinking about him.