Recently, I read this quote, and I immediately thought of my father, Gene Warren: “He pursued excellence as a path to serve others.”
Growing up in a small farming community in Southeast Missouri in the 1920s and ’30s, my dad was not an ordinary boy. He excelled in sports and was always organizing activities. He was also a stellar student—in fact, he graduated as valedictorian of his high school at just 15 years old.
Shortly after graduation, he went to work in the shipyards in Newport News to make a living. When World War II broke out, he joined the Navy at age 16, concealing his true age. Before long, he was off to the Philippines, where chaos reigned, and he found himself in hand-to-hand combat with Japanese forces, narrowly escaping with his life.
However, that was not the end of his service. After being honorably discharged from the Navy, he enlisted in the Army to pursue his dream of becoming an engineer. Thanks to the GI Bill, he earned his degree and became a lieutenant in the Army Corps of Engineers.
Service was always at the center of his being. He loved the USA and was always proud to say so. Every Veterans Day, he would stand for all the soldiers—men and women—who had served in our small town of Liberty. I often saw tears in his eyes as we raised the flag and sang the National Anthem.
The photos in the header of this newsletter are two of my favorites of my dad. One captures him walking with his good Army buddy, Don Telthorst, whom everyone called “Smiley”—nicknames in the military are a given. The other shows him with my parents’ first dog, Putter, whom he fondly called the “good ol’ Army dog.” When Putter died years later, he gave her a proper burial, complete with a flag draped over her little coffin.
Today, as we celebrate Veterans Day, I hope you’ll take a moment to call a veteran, write a note or participate in some way to honor those who have served and sacrificed for our country. Their courage and quiet strength remind us that service, in any form, is one of the highest callings we can answer.
With a debt of gratitude,
Gay Gaddis
Founder. Author. Artist. Trailblazer.
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