Uncle Hank

My Uncle Hank is a Legionnaire. Which is to say that he's a Veteran and a member of the American Legion. Seemingly out of the blue, he showed up on my mom's doorstep last night.

While Mom's out of town, we were taking advantage of her pool. And her kitchen. Ok, and her booze. I'd forgotten that she'd told me that my Uncle was coming in to town and I surely didn't remember why.  As a result, in the middle of opening a brewski and fixing yet another plate of barbecue, I was a little worried when I heard a knock at the door. Thinking our music was too loud or that the screams and thrashing of the kids in the pool had summoned Child Protective Services, I peeked out and saw the sweet face of the Hanker, my dad's only brother. And he'd brought a friend.

It was a fun night catching up and we fixed them breakfast this morning. Over pancakes and bacon, Hank told us why they're in town. Five families of service members will receive a thin, cold, black granite plaque representing thanks for their ultimate sacrifice. In this case, the loss of their son in service to our country. As Hank tried to explain where they were headed and what they were going to do, I turned on the recorder. Here's what he (with the mustache) and Dale shared: