Warren's B-day ...

My old friend, Warren, celebrated his birthday (honestly I forget which one, but I think it was his 90th or 91st) and we wanted to take him out for a celebration.  He is a WWII Veteran and his birthday just happens to be celebrated on D-day, not that he was born on the day US troops invaded the European shores, but his birthday and D-day just happen to be the same date on a calendar.

But this year, it was kind of a a special celebration because we went to Wright Patterson AFB to the National Museum of the Air Force.  We had been there several times before, but on this date, the Museum just happened to be opening up the display of the Memphis Belle which had just recently been rebuilt and taken out to the museum to be put on permanent display.  In addition to the Belle, there was also a group of WWII re-enactors wearing the 101st Airborne patches and Airborne uniforms.  They were in the Normandy section of the museum and we took Warren there to see them.

The "guys" might have been as impressed with meeting Warren as he was with seeing them in the uniforms, and equipment of an earlier part of his life. 

There was one of the "guys" who played the role of a First Sergeant.  He spent quite a bit of time talking to Warren and they got to telling "tales" like all soldiers are likely to do.

I  rounded up a group of these re-enacters and asked them if they could take a moment and sing a happy birthday song to Warren.  It was pretty cool and several of the people standing around who saw what was taking place joined in.

When it was time to leave, we ran into a "Marine" who was parked in the lot with his Jeep.  As I went to get our car, Warren talked his way into a trip around the parking lot with the "Marine" and the jeep. He really enjoyed that too.

All in all, it was a pretty good time.  After seeing the museum, we went to lunch at O'Charley's because it was "Free Pie Wednesday" and Warren would get to take a piece of banana cream pie home to enjoy later that night.

I know it was Warren's day to celebrate, but Pam and I probably got just as much out of it as he did.  He is funny, friendly and really appreciates it when people thank him for his service.  He is humble and always seems to be embarrassed when people do that, but he just shakes their hand and smiles.

Now that we have moved to NC, we obviously won't be doing these things with him, but we will have our memories.  We call him once a week or so, and he "butt dials" us at least that many times.  But that's Warren and we hope we have him around for a while yet.

Celebration of birthdays is a good way of affirming the dignity of an elder's life (maybe even the flamboyance of their life), and that it is a good thing to be alive.  

Hooah