Dad's legacy lives on

Every once in a while I have a feeling that life comes full circle. Sunday afternoon I reached for my i-phone to find this photo that my friend from Zurich had sent me.

It was a blow from the past. Growing up I have a strong image of my Dad spending his Sunday mornings in the study reconstructing aircraft carriers and planes that had accompanied him through his Navy career in the 60's. While we kids had to go to church, Dad got to stay at home and play. Assembling, glueing and painting airplane models, it was his passion. I guess it was his way of remembering the good old times. A period in his life when he had made life-long buddies in a culture where he felt totally at home and at ease. It was very far removed from our Swiss life.

My Dad had assembled hundreds of models over the years and when he passed away, we did not know what to do with them. Somehow they got stuck in my friend's attic where years later her boy discovered the old, dusty boxes. And guess what his favourite toys are today? Yep, my Dad's carefully constructed Navy ship and plane models.

My friend expressed her worry that Dad would not appreciate her son's daily set-up of new attack maneuvers across her hallways.

My dear friend, thank you so much for sending me these pictures which conjure up fond childhood memories of my Dad along with tears but I am certain he is smiling down from where ever he is at little Don bringing his treasured models back to life with so much love and passion.

As Admiral George Anderson said in 1961: "The Navy has both a tradition and a future - and we look with pride and confidence in both directions."