Harry S. Truman
This is Andrew J. Cairns when he was in the Army. I like to refer to him as Grandpa Andy. Andy enlisted using his brother's birth certificate because he himself was not old enough to enlist....at least that is how the legend goes. When I asked him about it once, he just laughed and smiled, saying "Things were different way back then."
Andy would serve in a variety of duties as an MP. He served Stateside guarding war trains and also in Africa and Italy. He received a Purple Heart, of which the family did not learn of until the last few years of his life. 9 months previous to his death I asked him about receiving his Purple Heart. He was humble and modest about it but told me the story. He had never told anyone because he didn't feel as if it was a big deal. That was Grandpa....
I miss Grandpa, he died this past year and there's not a day that doesn't go by that I'm not reminded of him. He wasn't my real grandfather, he was Chris's but we had a bond, one in which he acknowledged me as his own. He was everything a grandfather should be. The flag that draped his coffin and was presented to my husband sits on my entertainment center. It's a daily reminder of him and his legacy. My husband and my boys are Grandpa's legacy. I see him through them.
Grandpa rarely talked about his time in service, he was a humble man. He spent his life working and owning his own construction company and then working for the Corp of Engineers until he retired.
Grandpa was the real deal, a son, a brother, a husband who loved dearly, a father who loved and lost, and a grandfather who inspired his grandchildren and great-grandfather that left an impression. It's one of the reasons his grandson decided to earn a degree in construction AND join the military. But also we remember him as the quiet soldier and always the proud Veteran. This Veteran's Day takes on a whole new meaning. He is no longer with us but his legacy lives on.......
Honor a Veteran in your life. Happy Veteran's Day.
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