A plane blew up that forever changed my family forever. You might have never heard about it in the news.

McFadden Moise volunteered to fly a plane for his buddy whose wife was having a baby in Chicago and needed a replacement so that he could go be with his wife as she gave birth. He was a Navy test pilot and was working toward being an astronaut. The jet blew up on take-off when my Mom was only 6 months-old.

My dear Mama will never know her first Daddy who died when she was 6 months-old. I look forward to the day when they will meet in Heaven for the first time. I can’t wait until she can wrap her arms around her earthly father and her heavenly father, 2 men she loves deeply with all of her heart.

That’s Memorial Day. Not beer, brats, and racing.

In Loudonville, Ohio, something I will miss greatly is that all of the youth baseball teams started their season on Memorial Day. But first we all marched to the cemetery through downtown to hear vets with voices that cracked as they remembered those who gave it all so that we might play ball and worship in freedom.

That’s Memorial Day.

Thank you to those who will honor my Grandfather and others you will never know whose Memorial Day’s won’t be filled with as much laughter this year because someone volunteered to give up their life if duty called so that we might have the right to march through downtown, play baseball, cook-out and worship without fear.