Paul served over 19 years in the Air Force. He would have done more, but his body gave up on him, at the age of 41 he had a disabling stroke. Over the next 10 years he worked with the local Disabled American Veterans chapter. He went to the Veterans hospital and gave out cookies and soda to the patients - and being Paul he also gave out a lot of bad jokes and smiles. For several years we went to a local cemetery with the Boy Scouts and helped decorate the graves on Memorial Day. And he always made a point of being present for any ceremonies for the fallen.
One of the last things he did was ride on his DAV chapter's float in the Veterans Day parade last year. When he got home he told me he felt he didn't have the right to be up there with men who had served in WWII, Korea, VietNam and the Gulf. It hurt me to hear him belittle his life so.
So on Veteran's Day and every day:
Not every Vet has served in combat,
but every one is a Hero.
In Honor of Paul G. Sholette 1955-2006
Thank You.
2 comments:
It's funny, not in the comical sense of course, that I stumbled upon this post on Christmas Day. I cannot imagine your grief, and cannot but wonder at your ability to go through your life day by day. I am so sorry for your pain. Paul sounds like he was a person one would have been proud to know -decent and caring. I hope that you can find hope as you go on.
Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!
Joan a/k/a FSK
I wish I had been able to spend
more time with Paul. I enjoyed
his zest for life - for his family,
for his friends, and for the world
around him. And I will always love
him for the happiness he brought
to your life. There's no other way
to say it - he truly adored you.
He is missed.
Paula
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