An American "Loser"
FEATUREDLIFE
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An American "Loser"
Thursday, September 10, 2020
Well, you-know-who is at it again, finding another group of folks to disrespect and annoy. Reported, confirmed, and fitting into a long pattern of putting down the military and veterans, is the story of his refusal to visit a US cemetery in France, calling the fallen "losers" and "suckers." That includes a member of my family so now I've got something to say. Where I grew up, President Bone Spurs, if you asked for trouble, you got it.
Meet Frank J. Lasduk, Jr. As a kid in a poor and troubled home, raised in the Great Depression, he sought to make his way by joining President Roosevelt's Civilian Conservation Corps. It meant barracks living and hard physical labor dawn-to-dark thinning America's forests. Within a few days of Pearl Harbor he enlisted in the US Army, answering the need of a nation under attack. Spotting his mechanical aptitude the Army Air Corps shipped him to southernEngland to repair fighters and swap out engines, working through the nights so that a P-40 Warhawk or a P-51 Mustang could fly next day.
When it was over, General Hap Arnold, who created the US Air Force, wrote in appreciation:
Together we built the striking force that swept the Luftwaffe from the skies and broke the German power to resist. The total might of that striking force was then unleashed upon the Japanese....The contribution you made to the Air Forces was essential in making us the greatest team in theworld....The ties that bound us under stress of combat must not be broken in peacetime. Together we share the responsibility for guarding our country in the air. We...will never forget the part you have played while in uniform....Our gratitude and respect go with you.
After the war Frank went to work for Ford Motor who immediately made a grab for his essential skills. He was a member of the UAW for 30 years, and understood the value of brotherhood. When his kids wanted to buy him a car years later, it was clear it must be a Ford product. We support each other all the time—we're in this together. Does that sound like a loser to you?
He built a house by hand for his family. He paid his taxes. He sent his kids to college. He had a grip that could crush a walnut. I don't think he was a perfect man, but no one worked harder to make a difference. He was an American success story.
Perhaps his greatest achievement was his daughter. I remember well the day I went to Frank to ask for permission to marry. Yes, people still do that, especially when you respect the girl and her family. After a glass of fine Chianti, he gave me a single sentence of good advice: "Take good care of her."
I've recalled that counsel many times. It's always steered me right.
Frank passed in 2005. His grandsons (seen with Frank doing his famous monkey dance) and I went early to the chapel. There in the quiet and dim light was his coffin, draped in the American flag. It's an honor given to those who have served, an impressive emblem in a time of grief. The flag was like a comforting blanket put over a good man who had done his best, given from a nation who appreciated his life and service.
I've wondered during this leaderless time what Frank would advise us to do for our land. I think he'd say, "Take good care of her."