Wednesday, July 11, 2018

GRANDPA (BOB SORENSEN) IN HIS NAVY UNIFORM - NO DATE - GRANDPA WAS IN THE NAVY TWICE - HE JOINED AT 16 LEAVING THE OLD IRISH AUNTS HE WAS ORPHANED TO (BOTH HIS MOTHER AND FATHER DIED AT SEPARATE TIMES WHEN HE WAS A YOUNG TEENAGER AND WHILE THE AUNTS STOOD BY THEIR OBLIGATIONS I DON'T THINK THEY WERE REALLY HAPPY TO HAVE HIM AROUND - SO HE WAS ANXIOUS TO LEAVE) - HE TOLD ME OF FIRST COMING TO THE SIDE OF A BATTLESHIP IN A LITTLE BOAT AND IT SEEMED LIKE A MOUNTAIN - HE TRAVELED A GOOD DEAL IN THE NAVY TO PLACES IN ASIA AND JOINED AGAIN AROUND WW II TO SERVE IN SAMOA - HE BECAME A BOATSWAIN'S MATE WHICH IS A HIGHLY RESPONSIBLE NON-OFFICER RANK - THE INTERESTING THING ABOUT BOTH GRANDPA AND WAYNE (WHO SERVED AND SAW PLENTY OF SHOOTING WITH THE ARMY IN ITALY DURING WW II) WAS THAT NEITHER OF THEM RESENTED WHAT I DID ABOUT VIETNAM - INSTEAD THEY BOTH SUPPORTED AND ENCOURAGED AND HELPED ME - I NEVER FULLY REALIZED THEN HOW FORTUNATE I WAS HAVING THEM - SO MANY AT SUCH TIMES HAVE MUCH DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES - GOD BLESS BOTH THEIR SOULS - A JOHN CHUCKMAN IMAGE

GRANDPA NAVY