america's birthday {american hero}

I know that Independence day was two days ago, but there is just one more thing I'd like to talk about.  It's not party favors, or a silly dessert, it's a man, a great man.  When you date someone for a while you get to hear many stories about their life and family.  Some of the best stories Andrew has told me have been about his grandfather, he is a man I will never get to meet but I am proud to know and love his family.

Kenneth Houghton spent 35 years in the Marines and retired a Marine Corps Major General.  He fought in World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam.  At the end of his career he commanded both the 1st and 3rd Marine Division, and was commanding General of the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego.  That is where all male recruits west of the Mississippi River go to complete their training.  He was and is a pretty big deal, and my favorite story about him has to do with a magazine.

During the Korean War Andrew's grandmother was by herself with 4 kids in tow with no knowledge of where her husband was or if he was even alive.  He was commanding the Renaissance Company of the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade and was unable to contact his family back home.  It had been months since she had seen him.  She took the kids to the grocery store and right there, by the check-out stand, on one of those new-fangled magazine racks was LIFE Magazine with her husband on the cover!!!!!!

Andrew's mom and aunt and uncles have always had their own copy of the September 4th, 1950 issue of LIFE, and Andrew has always wished for his own.  So this year for his birthday Andrew's mom got him a present I will never be able to top. . . his very own, original copy...

That's him on the left.  When I saw this picture I finally understood where all of Andrew's looks come from, he doesn't look like his mom or brother or dad, but he is a spitting image of his grandfather (except younger)

Here is the little blurb about the cover photo

It's a pretty incredible story.  It sounds like something out of a movie, but it's true and real and we have the magazine to prove it!!!!

So there it is, I am dating the grandson of a true American hero.  

So Happy 235th Birthday America, and here's to 236.