Eighty years ago today, April 12, 1927, my Dad was born in Waukegan, IL. When he was 17, his parents signed him off early to join the Navy. He served in the Pacific, through the invasions of the islands like Iwo Jima, and went on to be a part of the occupation of Japan. He's got a bunch of medals to show for it.
I remember him telling me a story when I was young and just getting into karate. He was in Japan and saw two big Marines hassling a Japanese man. As you can imagine, the Americans were much bigger than the man. As my dad tells it, the little guy had about enough of that and dropped thse two Marines with some karate techniques. My dad said "He dusted himself off, straightened his suit, bowed and walked away. That was the first time I'd seen karate".
Dad got out after WWII but went back for Korea. He was what they called a "re-tread".
As it turns out, his older brother, my uncle Jim, was a black belt in ju-jitsu. There is a pretty strong possibility that he trained at the same time as well-known martial artist Robert W. Smith in the Judo club in downtown Chicago. Read Smith's Martial Musings, he refers to his time there, which was about the same as my uncle's.
I dedicated my latest book to my dad. It came out just in time for his birthday. He's my hero.
Dad gave me that good information that a dad is supposed to give, and I appreciate it. You'll see from the photo below that he was a Shore Patrolman in the Navy. He passed on some good things to know about keeping back to back with your buddy in a fight, and the timeless advice that "If you can't make a meal out of him at least get a sandwich."
Dad's going strong at his age and I believe he's going to be around for quite some time. He's sharp, and health is still pretty good. He's a great guy and I want to wish him again; Happy birthday, Dad!
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