As a resident, I really enjoy reading The Times. One thing that makes the paper shine is finding gems of the unexpected. Recently, the paper published a wonderful story about the memories of a son for his father and how the son literally followed his father’s footsteps around the world. I was spellbound. Rick McGee lost his dad at the age of 14. That’s not an easy thing for a kid to go through at that age. The amazing thing is what Rick did to rediscover his dad years later.

His father, William, was a Marine in World War II, serving at Dutch Harbor, Alaska, and on Guadalcanal. For anyone familiar with WWII in the Pacific, both locations can charitably be described as ‘hell holes,’ one frozen and one steaming hot. Both places were miserable for the men who served there.

My dad also served in the Pacific during WWII, on an attack transport. While I have not left town as Rick did, I have spent the last two years tracking the history of my dad’s ship, USS Elmore (APA-42), to the point of becoming the ship’s historian and creating a website to honor the men who served with my dad. As the Times article begins, “To honor a parent is among the highest compliments.” Rick and I share a common yearning.

The upshot is that Rick made it a point to visit those remote and barren places in search of his father. He even brought his own son along. In his quest, Rick found that he had a “very good idea about who my dad was and how he served his country…I am proud to be his son.”

Rick, your father is smiling down from heaven and telling everyone how proud he is of his son!