2023

Linda and I just celebrated our 56th anniversary after following (two years ago) our son, Tom, to our third location in Florida. Micco is in Brevard County just north of the Sebastian river, and Indian River County; Vero is about 30 minutes south, and Melbourne is about the same north. Our first location in Wellington was upper/middle suburbia, second was Hollywood, a JV Fort Lauderdale, and Micco is a mixed community of 1940s fishing shanties, snowbird homes, newer turn-of-the-century (2K) homes, and an occasional estate across US1 to the water. Ours is a very nice modest 4/2 pool home, a couple of blocks from the ICW, Indian River Lagoon, and actually was less expensive than the small 3/2 we left in Hollywood.

Tommy and our daughter-in-law, Monica, live less than a mile away with a pug, two Brittany Spaniels, and nine chickens. Tom works for CarFax, along with their efforts for American Brittany Rescue (americanbrittanyrescue.org), which has also added two of that breed to Linda and my family.

Daughter Barbara, son-in-law David, and granddaughter Julianna live north of Des Moines, Iowa. Dave works for USDA and Barbara continues to manage office design, space improvement, and renovation. In June, Julianna will make her first solo cross-country trip to visit for a month, with Barbara joining for the last week.

Last Saturday I was privileged to be chosen to join 29 other senior veterans on an Honor Flight from here to Washington to visit Memorials and the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown. Each of us had a “guardian” to carry our gear and maneuver a wheelchair if needed; fortunately, I do not. With air, Orlando to BWI and return, and bus travel to eight DC locations, it was a long but VERY moving 26 hours for one WWII, three Korean, and 26 Vietnam vets. I plan to volunteer to help with orientation for the next flight. Sadly, 70 is the cutoff age for “guardians” — I wish I had learned about the program sooner. If you have time check it out honorflight.org).

I seem to be over my suggested 100 words — a problem I never had with a Gilman assignment — so I will try to wrap it up. George tells me there are several of us alums in this part of the world. Maybe we should try for a get together?