A tribute to my Grandfather (the man who raised me) by his son, Larry. I had to share it with you, the life of an amazing man! A few years ago I had the opportunity to sit down with my father and ask him many questions about his life. One of the many questions that came up was, “Why did you join the Army”? One must keep in mind that when he and his high school buddies were discussing their futures and solving the problems of the world over the pinball machine at the local filling station, this country was at war; World War II, to be more specific. I was deeply curious what would motivate a person to sign up for military service while our country was in engaged in a World War. What would possess a person to sacrifice their lives for others and their country? Before I give you his answer, let me tell a little about his life. My grandfather passed away when my father was only 15 years of age. My grandfather was a local carpenter, and although I am certain he was an honest and hard working man, he had no savings or property to leave behind. Possibly that was because the country had just suffered through the Great Depression. So, my father and grandmother had to move into a tiny apartment located above the local grocery store. My father immediately went to work to help with the food and rent. When I asked my father why he joined the military, he was very quick to respond. His answer was concise and succinct. He said, “I wanted to buy my mother a better place to live”, “I wanted her to have a better life”. That says it all. That sums it up. That answer is a perfect description of my father and his life. Those of you that knew my father might know that he walked across the street everyday to help Mrs. Pittman get around. He helped her with the house, he gave her rides to all her family events…so much so, that he became a part of their family as well. He cut her grass every week. He cut his own grass, and he cut the grass at the church for I don’t know how many years. He also acted as the treasurer for the church for 20 plus years. He was there every Sunday, except the ones he spent visiting his friends and relatives. He took care of the “two school teachers”. By his description, “These two old school teachers live together, one is half blind and the other has become senile… they can’t get around”. They too needed help around the house and needed trips to the grocery store. My father was always there when they needed it. On one of our last trips together, the day my wife and I took him to see the neurosurgeon to discover what was wrong, he asked us to stop at the school teachers’ house. She wanted to play music on the stereo, but she couldnt figure out how to turn it on. So we stopped by on the way out of town. Even though he was in deep pain and was losing control of his extremities, he told us to wait in the car, he made it to the house himself, and he got the stereo working. When Mr. Sid Wieser got too old to drive, my dad started giving him rides to appointments and meetings and what not. And, although Mr. Wieser insisted that he accept payment, I know that my father never took a dime from Mrs. Pittman, or the old school teachers, or the church. He merely wanted to help. He spent his entire life, donating his time and service, in an effort to making other people’s lives better. He was a simple man and he led a very simple life. His education was limited to high school. He did not have a lot of wealth. But he gave what he had; his time, his help, and his service to any that needed it. He was a humble man, so quiet and reserved that I would assume most people felt that he was shy. But if you knew him at all, you know that he wasnt shy, he was dignified. He was very proud and a very honorable man. He served our God through his service to the church. He proudly served his country through two wars, Korea and Viet Nam, not to mention the Cold War. He never borrowed anything he couldnt pay back. Being the expert book keeper that he was, I don’t believe he ever missed a payment or wrote a bad check, even in the toughest of times. As a matter of fact, he was such a lawful man; I don’t think he ever even got a speeding ticket. He was an extremely honorable man. And, he was a caring and loving father. In my mind, heaven has to be a really big place…with tons of people. It has to be huge! Those people are going to need a way to get around. I am certain that father will commandeer a vehicle and will offer rides and directions to any and all. They say that heaven is beautiful place, so much so that it can’t be described in words. Therefore, it must have beautiful lawns and gardens that need to be tended. If there is grass in heaven, my dad is cutting it. Master Sergeant Walter William Cashell, God bless you. May you rest in peace. December 25, 1929 – December 30, 2014
Posted on: Fri, 02 Jan 2015 00:21:29 +0000