A good man

Let me tell you a story. This story is about a man. Not a great leader, prophet, or adventurer, just a man.

This man was born and reared in a small town in Georgia. He was not highly educated, and worked hard all his life. Then came World War 2, and he was drafted into the Army's First infantry (the "Big Red One" for all you history buffs). Three years he served honorably, and at times heroically (Silver star, Bronze star with oak leaf clusters, and numerous other medals and ribbons), never complaining since there was a job to be done. When his enlistment was up, he turned down a field promotion from Private First Class to First Lieutenant, to return to his family. After the war he toiled as a carpenter until he retired, and during this time he and his wife reared 3 sons. These 3 sons, as happens in life, had children of their own.
This is where my experiences start, I knew the man from my first day. I often watched as he worked around his modest country house. Always a job to do, and it always got done. I remember the deep sadness in his eyes as he told us grandchildren stories from his war. My guess is that the three years burned something out of the man, he is the only person I have ever met with no darkness inside. We all have it, the negative traits of our personality, but not him. I never saw him lie, cheat, or steal. Never spoke ill of another person, and helped anyone in need (from a complete stranger to closest relative, it did not matter). He always did what was right, not because he strove to, he just did. Most importantly he did not hate. A simple man who taught me what a man should be, not by lectures, by just being one.
He died 2 years ago of bone cancer. For the many years that this cancer was killing him, he never told anyone. It was non-treatable, he coped with it by getting on with his life, there was work to do.
Every day I think about the lessons that he taught me, and I can attribute all the positive aspects of my life to them. I hope to, one day, be a man such as this. Right now still got a ways to go, but such is life. Gotta go now, there is work to do.