Those 70ish Girls

When Kip and I got married, we were surprised by the many similarities in our families. His dad was born two months before mine. His mother was born ten months after mine. I was born two weeks after Kip’s youngest sister. My Brother, Billy was born on July 28, 1944 and Kip was born two weeks later on August 12, 1944.

Mom with baby Billy and Irma and Jeff Sanderson.

Our father’s were both in WWII, both in the Army, both in the Army Corps of Engineers, and served in the Central Pacific.

Dad served from June of 1942 until December of 1946. He went overseas September 20th 1944… two months after my brother, Billy was born and didn’t come back to the states until January 4th of 1946. That means Billy was almost a year and a half when Dad got back.

Dad was a sharpshooter (M-1 rifle). His occupation is listed on his discharge papers as a Construction Foreman.

Kip’s dad enlisted for four years and then reenlisted. He served in Guam and then Italy. He went overseas, but was able to come back for a brief time when Kip was born in August of 1944. Kip has an older sister that was born on the 4th of July 1942.

Mack with a friend, Kip’s dad is on the right, Mack and Naomi dancing, Naomi, Karen and Kip at her mother’s house.

Kip’s mother was one of the wives who got the dreaded knock on the door. At the age of twenty-seven, her husband Mack, was killed in an accident in Italy.

It was over two months before his body was returned to Laramie, WY. Kip’s mother insisted they open the casket. I can understand her need to make sure it was really him.

I also want to honor my second father, Gus for his years of service. He served during the Korean conflict. I read that thirty-six thousand Americans died there. Gus was only nineteen in 1950 when the war started. I don’t think he had to go overseas. He’s a proud veteran and has done a lot with, and for, the American Legion.

It’s amazing how wars change the course of so many lives. A friend of mine said she thinks we’re starting to appreciate our veterans more than we used to. Their families deserve our greatest respect and appreciation, too.

The picture below was posted by another friend of mine.

God Bless the United States of America!