Found out this morning a friend and good old man passed away.

[Guest TankerHC]

Friend of mine, my next door neighbor in MS passed away. He was in his upper 80's as I recall and a Korean War Vet. Had a lot of long conversations and heard some stories from that man. His wife had Alzheimers and passed away last year. Before retiring he owned one of the largest Construction companies in the State of MS. Had (And I think he may have still had) a lot of prime real estate, said the biggest mistake he ever made was buying a House in a subdivision. His wife liked it, he hated it. Grew up on a Farm and that is where he wanted to be, on his own property, wished he could just sell that place and move on. But with his wife sick, no way he could do it, he didnt want to cause any upheaval with her, she made it clear she didn't want to go to a home, so he took care of her (With his kids help, but mostly him) alone. They lived alone. He was dedicated to that wife of his, he gave up everything when she got sick.

 

But last year Joe came over to my house and we were talking about the Military and I asked him if he wanted to look at some rifles (We were sitting right in front of the safe) so I pulled out an M1 Garand and handed it to him. Man, you should have seen the look of surprise on that old mans face and he asked "Is this what I think it is". Told him yea, its an M1 Garand. Then he went into how it brought back so many memories and the listening started. Thing is, Joe wasnt in the Army or Marines, he was in the Air Force. He said one of his worst memories was carrying one of these things. I asked "In Combat?". No, it wasnt that part, it was the part of having packs on our backs, crawling through freezing mud. Hated that. Some miserable days. I asked him "Thought you were in the Air Force?". And he said "I was, I went into the Air Force so I wouldnt have to do those things, if I had known they were going to make me do those things anyway, I'da just went ahead and joined the Army or Marines. But when they tell you to do something, you just shut your mouth and do it". Long conversation's that day, took him about 15 minutes before he remembered how to charge the rifle, he was showing me how he carried it cradled in his arms through the mud, asked me if it still shot and if I shoot it and told me next time I go to the range I should try it sometime (Lay on the ground in the mud and crawl with the rifle, naaa...). 

 

Then I pulled out a WWII 1911. He told me his cousin came back from WWII with one of these. Told me that he always carried it in his car and that he and a bunch of his cousins were hell raising, drinking and running around town causing problems, said they werent bothering anyone but the Sheriff, who was also a WWII Veteran. Told me that they got pulled over in Louise Mississippi by the Sheriff, who he said was a complete ahole. He said the jail didnt have any windows, no bars and not even a lock on the door, they could have just walked right out when the Sheriff left, but the Sheriff told them that if they walked out he would shoot all of them and him being a WWII Vet they believed him, so they pretty much kept themselves locked up. He said they sat in that jail all day, freezing, hungover, and thirsty, discussing among themselves why they were keeping themselves locked up when they could just walk right out, get in the car and leave. Said they were going to do it, but the Sheriff had taken his cousins Pistol, and he wanted it back. So when the Sheriff came back, the first thing his cousin told him was he wanted his pistol back and the Sheriff's response was, go outside, get in your car and leave or I will shoot all of you. He said his cousin never got that pistol back, and that was his pride and joy because he had used it in WWII. And "You know that cousin of mine became the Governor of Mississippi, no one in the family would have ever guessed he would end up being Governor". I asked oh yea, what was his name, when did he die? "He's not dead, he is in a nursing home in Koskiusko Mississippi". This was less than a year ago.

 

Thought I would tell that story because it is firearm related. But Joe was a good guy. But at times could nag a little on two things. Drinking and Smoking. We had a pond behind our house full of largemouth bass, so I did a lot of fishing behind my back deck with my lawn chair, beer and smokes. Joe would walk over and say the same thing when he saw me drinking and smoking. "You know, I drank moonshine for 10 years, that stuff they called white lightning, then I discovered good Whiskey and drank for another 40. Put my wife through hell when I was drinking, if I had realized what I was doing and doing to my body I wouldnt have done it. On Smoking "I smoked for over 40 years, Doctor told me my last 4  or 5 years if I didnt quit it was going to kill me. You young people have been told, we werent told but dont get me wrong, we weren't dumb, we knew what we were doing. I have been quit for years now, but look at me, cant walk 5 steps without having to stop to catch my breath because of emphysema. You dont want to end up like me. It didnt kill me, but sometimes with this emphysema you wish you were". Heard that " A LOT".

 

But old Joe was a good guy. Hate to hear it, but we all end up that way eventually. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[hipower]

Sorry for the loss of a good neighbor and good friend.

[TrickyNicky]

Old Joe sounds like a good man. Sorry for your loss.

[Dustbuster]

Hate to hear about anyone losing a friend especially when we can count out real ones on one hand as we peak in life. Sorry for your loss I'll keep him and you on my prayer list.
I remain truly


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2 of course it ate my spelling.

[Fourtyfive]

Sorry Tanker ....