Holiday Open Thread
Happy Father’s Day! In the US, Sonora Smart Dodd is credited with getting Father’s Day into the calendar as a holiday to complement Mother’s Day. Since Father’s Day is the third Sunday of June, it occurs close to the summer solstice. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
Category: Open thread
FIRST!
A hot cup of Irish Coffee and a HOT First. Life is good…or in this case, just real lucky. Had just sat down to take a sip, opened up Mr. Chromie and WHOOOMP!, there it was, a Holiday Open Thread, as orphaned as I am. Made the decision to be the HOT’s Daddy. I guess all of the usual suspects are either preparing to go visit Dear Old Dad, or being feted by their Adoring Offspring. Y’all pardon me while I have a little Pity Party.
Been 60 years since I could spend a day with our Papa. Have always wondered how my life would have been different if he’d of been alive for at least some of those years. He did make a very Spirited Attempt to teach me in the 10 years that I did have him to do the right thing and treat women with respect. He also taught me to have a work ethic and a love of Country. I tried to pass these lessons on to my daughter, the kids I’ve mentored, and some step young’uns. Some of them took, some didn’t.
Been a few years since I had any of them around on this day, but it’s OK. The Sugar Bug will call her Papa and she does love and respect him. She also doesn’t mind when her Soccer Mom Buds fawn over him.
You Deplorables that still have your Dad with you, Pay Honors to him, shake his hand, and give him a hug for me. Those that are Fathers…Teach your children well.
Doesn’t count.
A blessed and happy Father’s Day to all you fathers.
True. Me, all I want is electricity – power company estimates as late as Friday for juice.
Sorry, David. Hope y’all make it.
Happy Father’s Day to those who have accepted the biggest challenge life can throw at you. It’s especially meaningful for me since I just completed my final AT as a Company Commander. I’m a little older than your average Captain and most of my Soldiers are the same age or younger than my daughter so it seemed like I had a larger family. And, I knew when they needed an encouraging word and when they needed a boot in the ass, so being a father prepared me well for my time in leadership. I had my final formation with my Soldiers and shook hands with each of them and thanked them for the work they’ve put in over the past couple of years. And, while saying my farewell remarks, it seemed to get dusty on the drill floor. Might have to talk to the state worker assigned to the armory about that…
Good luck with your future endeavors.I held company command for 2 weeks shy of 4 years, including a 1 year deployment, where I had troops in 4 countries across CENTCOM. I had 157 Soldiers. I was very blessed for the most part, only had about 10% trouble Soldiers. I wasn’t ready to give it up at the 2 year mark, but boy was I ready at the 4 year mark. Not sure that I have any interest in BN CMD. Like you, I was/am older. Currently at 35.5 years with the Army and NG combined. Had almost 23 years in when I commissioned. I cherish the assignment, but not sure I ever want command again. Getting lazy in my old age.
Thanks, Blaster. I think staff is going to be the end for me unless I can wangle a position as an RSD Company Commander. I believe that the position can be held by a Major (it’s a Guard thing), so I can call it a “broadening assignment.” It’ll be me completing the circle since I assisted the RSD Cadre when I crossed over to the green from the blue and I think I can do some good there. I think I’ll put that in my OER support form and see where it goes. Somebody has to help bring that next generation of Citizen-Soldiers up properly.
That feeling when your Soldiers are younger than your own kids can be emotional. I experienced it for the first time during my second cycle as a Drill Sergeant. Having an 18-year-old daughter and training boys that were born when she was already recognizing her parents was something. Knowing that they might find themselves in a lonely and helpless combat situation within months made me try even harder to train them to the fullest extent before shipping them to their NCOs and officers in FORSCOM.
I know the officer path is a lot different than the enlisted one, and after being the “Old Man” in a company leadership role it’s on to years of staff, hopeful promotion to MAJ, and maybe an eventual battalion command, especially for O-3Es.
My time as a Senior Drill Sergeant became my last significant leadership role. I was worn out by the time I got to The Old Guard for PSG time and ended up moving to MDW in less than a year, after having a few lengthy talks with my Soldiers about the importance of self-care and never putting the Army over their own families’ needs. A couple of years in J/G3, a local PCS to Acquisitions, and my time leading and influencing kids that were raised (or not) by other parents was over. Almost like it never happened, though hopefully there’s a young SGT or SSG that remembers DS fm2176 and learned something from me. Good or bad, if they took anything from their experience (like I did with every leader I had regardless of their competency or ability to lead and mentor), I succeeded in my role.
Thank you for your thoughts on this. My path was particularly interesting. As you may have gathered by my handle, I was prior enlisted. I had a long break in service from my first go-round back in the mid-90’s when my Air Force Reserve unit was BRACCED while I was away for basic training and tech school. I spent the better part of that enlistment in IRR. I joined the Air Guard in 2005 and did a tour in Iraq. Got out after that enlistment and joined the Army Guard. They sent my old ass to basic and I went to OCS the following year. So yeah, I did basic 3 fucking times. It was very emotional walking away from command and the math doesn’t add up for me to get a Battalion command since I’m pushing 50, but I’m good with where I’m at and what I’ve done. And, like you, if it turns out that I was able to influence someone to be a better Soldier and, more importantly, a better person, then I can rest easy knowing that I left it a little better than I found it.
Level wings dad.
true
This is the first Father’s Day without my dad. I was lucky to have him for almost 51 years
I had mine for 8. I envy you.
First Father photo – I believe Italy WWII
Happy Fathers day to all you fathers.
New attention on Phony Albert Brum,
previously called out by VG/TAH in 2017.
Albert Brum; Canadian phony and his US medal
Jonn Lilyea | April 11, 2017
https://valorguardians.com/blog/?p=71382
November 2022 –
Brum took an Honor Flight (remember Maggie DeSanti?)
round trip paid (by donors) vacay to DC,
and got wheeled around wearing his PHONY BLING.
Details and photos at the SV Canada public page on FaceBook.
https://www.facebook.com/stolenvalourcanada
More…
Brum was about to donate his phony bling to a museum.
Good news, it’s not going to happen.
This could be a good followup article for VG. 🙂
GGB nailed another…. and this time,
they got the Phony Green Beret
to strip the phony patches off of his vest.
Jesse Lauderdale vest (after)….
BONUS – POW*MIA patch remains.
http://guardiansofthegreenberet.com/Portals/0/IMG_5718.jpg
Miss ya Pop. See you soon.
Well, this stinks.
Really stinks.
https://thefederalist.com/2023/06/15/supreme-court-upholds-institutionalized-racism-with-ruling-on-indian-child-welfare-act/
I bet The False Commander “Phony” Phil Monkress (CEO of All-Points Logistics) kids are proud.
Hey, may dad is fake Native American, Navy SEAL and Law Enforcement Officer!
But the girls were answering the phones and covering for him in the day. So who knows…
Green Thumb,
Are you or anyone else here members of Ancestry?
It appears there are plenty of Monkress records,
including 19 with military records.
Happy hunting. 🙂
https://www.ancestry.com/name-origin?surname=monkress
My Dad has been at rest for over nine years now. He wasn’t perfect; I grew up seeing him only a handful of times each year, though the summers spent at his place are cherished memories. Hell, he had me driving his ’79 Chevy truck with a beer in my lap by age 8, and the stories I’ve heard about his hellraising in the ’50s and ’60s are legendary. Even so, he was a lifelong trucker with millions of safe miles under his belt.
I wish I had more time with him, but the memories are what matter, and now with adult children of my own it’s unwise to dwell in the past. Hopefully everyone made the most of yesterday, whether spent with your own father or with your children.