So close to D-Day and not a Vet who was involved in WWII, Korea, Vietnam or any other stupid active thing. He is my brother-in-law who so loved my sister, he gave up his career for her and he died this morning.
My sister, who was the beauty of the siblings of five, was looking at a second chance at love. She found it but also found that she had renal cancer. That's generally the goodbye thing for relationships that aren't anchored. Welp, not for my sister.
She had met a Captain of a USS ship and fell in love. She found out she had renal cancer, had the surgery, survived and he still wanted to marry her. Remission. Then it was back.
This amazing man first married my sister early so she'd have benefits, gave up a career in which he was already on the list for promotion so he could care for her and watched my gorgeous sister curl into the fetal position with tumors sprouting everywhere before she died.
I have a family full of military veterans -- my Dad and his brother served and survived. My mother's brother served and died in the Battle of the Bulge. My brother-in-law was in the Navy during "peace" time. He spread my sister's ashes from the fantail of his former ship. I told him not to do a "Big Lebowski" -- "Sorry Dude" and have my sister's ashes blown back on him. He laughed and cried.
He was a really good man. Not famous, not perfect but really good. My sister died knowing he loved her.
Peace and blessings, Steve. You deserve to be with the angels but you might find my sister elsewhere. Look for her -- she loved you to her dying breath.
Peace and blessings for all of our veterans, living and dead. Peace and blessings for their families, comrades and friends.
Steve was only 61. What the hell?