The picture above sits on our mantle. I really like the picture because of David’s smile. Somedays, I look at it and smile and somedays I look at it and cry.  On this Veteran’s day I recall how David loved his country and proudly served in the Air force.

David loved being in the military, it was something he wanted to do since he was a young boy. Before joining the Air force, he was in the civil air patrol.  When we met, his pride and love for country were very clear.

When he decided to leave the service, he believed the timing was right. I was probably happier than he was. I was very happy because it also allowed us to spend more time together and I was relieved that I would not have to worry as much about him being away on duty.

Although David left the service, his heart never really left. It remained a big part of who he was. Many of his mannerisms and actions were a reflection of the discipline and training he had in the service. I always told him his employers were lucky to have him. Every project was treated like a mission, with the greatest focus and attention until it was done. He always had a plan for everything, including a plan for dying – this was way before he was diagnosed with bladder cancer.

After the diagnosis, we tried to understand what may have caused the cancer. There was no explanation based on lifestyle or family history. One key cause of bladder cancer is exposure to chemical toxins from smoking but David was not a smoker. So we wondered if he was unknowingly exposed to toxins while in the service.

He once expressed his frustration that the cancer may have been caused by such exposure while in service as he questioned why it did not result in an earlier onset of the disease before he had every reason to live or later in life after he got to watch our children grow up. His frustration was based on the timing of the disease. He never questioned or regretted his decision to serve. He always spoke about the Air force with great reverence.

At his burial, as he was laid to rest by other members of the Air force, I had a better understanding of the prestige and the charm he always felt as he talked about being a Veteran.