Takes Tough Guys to Win and Build

I mentioned my father in yesterday's blog; one more thing about the man and then I'll move away from the topic. My Dad was  one of 'those self-made' fellas that folks speak about when they advance that wonderful USA notion...'The American Dream.' Like many from his generation, my Dad quit school (formal education) at the ninth grade. He went to work and got married by age twenty.


My Dad was a 'blue-collar' guy until he was in his forties. He had years working as an operating engineer; mostly operating bulldozers and large cranes. Later he became a lead burner, which was a trade that was closely connected to corrosion protection. Many uses for lead was replaced to a great extent by the development of plastics.


My father was a very 'old' selective service draft in World War !!. he was 26, when he got that 'draft-letter;' I recall the day. The Father of two boys served this country for two years under General Patton.
In time, my Dad became a successful sales person in the corrosion-protection-plastics industry. He became President of companies in St. Louis and Dallas.  My brother relates a great story about our Father. It seems Dad's Dallas company had a multi-million dollar job with an Air Force Base. The head-dog at the Air Force facility was a retired USA military Captain. At a meeting regarding the specs and job plan, this bigger than life Captain, who had not lost his pompous posturing, was insistent that Dad's company's plan was flawed. As Dad attempted to justify his plan, the Captain told my Father that HE (Captain) had been IN on the planning of the Normandy Invasion and thus the Captain 'knew' his business. Dad looked the Captain in the eyes and said, "With due respect, I fought that Normandy Invasion and that plan was f*#^d-up!"


I always appreciated my Dad's ability to state much in a few words...I remember my East St. Louis teen years as I left the house of an evening. "Hey boy, be home before the shallow hours and while your out-in-the-streets, don't let your mouth overload your ass!"