To honor a parent is among the highest compliments.

When a parent dies young, remaining memories are important. And making new ones helps keep the legacy alive.

With Fountain Hills resident and CPA Rick McGee, he has made sure the memory of his father stays in the fore.

McGee’s father, William, died when Rick was 14. William was only 39, missing out on so much of the life his family looked forward to: grandchildren, travels, adventure.

Fortunately, William did have some adventures when he was younger, and Rick has relived some of those through the years.

William was a Marine in World War II, serving at Dutch Harbor, Alaska, and on Guadalcanal.

In 2011, Rick and his son, Trenton, traveled to Alaska to visit the places his father had been and to donate something special to a World War II museum. William, while stationed at Dutch Harbor, wrote a poem, “War’s Christmas.” Rick had the piece written in calligraphy and framed it along with his father’s photo and dedication. The Ounalashka Corporation, which owns the museum, has the poem on display to this day.

“It was really special to present the poem to the museum and for them to so graciously accept it and display it,” Rick said.

Being where his father had served meant a lot to Rick and Trenton.

“We were able to travel to a number of places my dad had been. It was very special to do that with my son.”

Rick, who served in the Vietnam era as a submarine sailor, has high regard for fellow veterans, and especially for his father.

He has photos and stories of his dad and his uncle, who served in the Navy.

When William went to Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands in the Pacific, he was part of a pivotal battle in World War II.

“It was a turning point in a whole lot of ways,” Rick said. “Now we talk about shock and awe with combined forces and coordinated attacks. The Americans shocked the Japanese on Guadalcanal enormously.”

The Japanese had poor intelligence, and the Americans were stealthier than they thought or expected. American troops outnumbered the Japanese by almost 1,000 men. The Japanese were expecting 900 to 1,000 troops, Rick said.

Only about 150 Japanese soldiers survived the attack. Their leader committed harakiri after they were so soundly defeated, Rick said.

He added that a book entitled “Guadalcanal Diary” described the months-long battle.

Rick had an opportunity to visit Guadalcanal while on a cruise to Australia and New Zealand.

“It was only a three-hour plane ride from Australia,” he said. “I didn’t think I would ever get that close again, so we made the arrangements and traveled to Guadalcanal.”

He described the small island as “dirty, and in grinding poverty. I’m sure it is much the same as it was in 1942.”

He said the boys who fought in the battle there witnessed “things no kid that age – or any age – should have to experience. It was a very brutal battle that lasted a long time.”

Rick recounted a family story from his father’s service on Guadalcanal. Rick’s Uncle Bud, William’s brother, was in the Navy at the same time his brother was serving in the Marines.

He drove an LST (landing craft) and was sent to Guadalcanal to help with the effort there. Early one morning, Bud approached a Marine and asked if he knew whether his brother might be on the island. The Marine knew William, and took Bud to the tent.

“Bud went in to my dad’s tent and shouted his name,” Rick said. “I think it was an amazing reunion.”

The brothers did not know where each was serving, so finding each other in the South Pacific was nothing short of a miracle in timing.

“My uncle loved to tell the story,” Rick said. “I am sure it was quite a get-together.”

Rick said he knows he is fortunate to have spent time in places his father spent as a young man.

“I wish we could have done those things together, but I have a very good idea about who my dad was and how he served his country,” Rick said. “I am proud to be his son.”