Mr. Sugg never liked to talk about his military experience much. But there were two things I did know. One was that he received a commendation for bravery when he ran out during heavy enemy fire to drag a wounded soldier to safety. And two, he had the foresight to ask his Captain for one of the tattered American flags that had flown over his ship as they had fought in this pivotal battle. He brought it home and framed it, and it hung in proudly in his living room until his death. I guess those two tangible items were more powerful than the words he could come up with to describe his service.
So the first thing my son and I did this morning was to visit his grave, to honor him and to thank him for all he had done for us, his community, and his country. This day is a great reminder that, as much as I believe in having our children read about Odysseus and Hamlet, Jo March and Katniss Everdeen, we shouldn’t forget to point out to them the real-life heroes in their own family tree.