In honor of Sergeant Edmund L. Marks Sr. August 14, 1923 - April 30, 2013 "Grandpa Red" Grandpa seldom did not shine with a bright grin above his chin, He donned a WW2 hat with brimming pride that he couldn’t keep inside, He would share with you a short story, anecdote, or joke, Gesturing with his hands, and holding his rum and coke, Family and friends listened fondly to every word he spoke, Having bravely served our country, he deserved our attention, He never asked for much, and was proud to mention, He was selected to join Operation Crossbow, Once labeled a top secret mission some time ago, With remarkable recollection and a crystal clear gaze, Red recounted his story, which made the front page, With the luck of the Irish, some say from a 4-leaf clover, He served as Radar Sergeant, shooting down V-1s over the White Cliffs of Dover, Whenever I meet someone from Texas, I always ask, curious and gracious, “Excuse me sir, do you know the town of Palacios?” Except now we can’t call him with an update to relay, But instead we find comfort when we say, “Grandpa, we love you and we know you are with us every day.” A husband to Mary Byrne and father to seven, he lived a full and noble life, Surely he has earned his place in heaven, remaining united with his wife, In his home of 59 years many memories remain, in the kitchen where no one was late, For American chop suet served hot on your plate, When it came to breakfast, he was a master chef who didn’t fiddle, Making delicious homemade pancakes as large as the griddle, During the holidays with Grandpa at home in his seat, Simba rested and warmed Grandpa’s feet, Laying down and waiting for him to drop the next treat, “Polly and I are going out” and he says, “Leave Simba with me”, To which we reply, “Without a doubt; we’ll be back around 3”, When we returned from our run, before it got dark, Simba got his turn to play and run at House Rock Park, Hot cocoa and crackers, with peanut butter too, “Do you want some?” he asks at 3AM on your way to the loo, No thank you Grandpa, I love you, sleep tight, I don’t know how you have any room after Denly’s pizza night, When driving him in the Ford, Big Band was the word, Heading down the street, the music brought about a familiar beat, With a turn of the dial and help from an app, We saw Grandpa’s smile and rhythmic toe tap, Awarded the Chevalier from France, oh did Grandpa know how to dance, On his feet he could keep up with the beat, often out dancing 3 times a week, And when at home in his seat, there wasn’t a film featuring John Wayne he hadn’t seen or watched a repeat, Through tough times like these it’s easy to sob, Instead though, we should celebrate the life of Red, a VBOB! To be early was great, To be on time was to be late, And in doing so an eager gentleman could not be forced to wait, Let us not fret for what matters most, Put simply, Grandpa didn’t want to be late for his return to God, his loving Host, Praying for peace, he is our dear old hero who remains in our hearts and whose presence does not cease.
Posted on: Thu, 13 Jun 2013 00:14:26 +0000
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