My Grandfather The Veteran & American Dream

I started to write about something completely different today, but I realized that I should spotlight the people who make this democracy possible every day.

Our Vets, thank god for them and their acts of service. My grandfather was drafted into the second world war and served in the US Armed Forces when the allied soldiers made the Nazi's say "Uncle" and surrender.

Ironically, black soldiers were not held in very high standing, so his stories were less than 'glorious,' but he never complained none the less.

He was a proud man who worked hard to stay alive and get back to his family; the only thing that kept him going was getting home to my Grandmother (Mentris) and their oldest son Billy. When the war was over, he returned home injured, the road to recovery was long but got back on his feet.

Sure, enough the family multiplied, and even after the war was over, he still soldiered on. They had four more kids, including my mother, and my grandfather then went on to run a dry-cleaning company until he finally retired in his 80's (that is very George Jefferson of him).

He never once complained about the accident that almost killed him in the war, when his truck hit a landmine, he never once thought about how to get out of a hard day's work.

He used to have a saying which is common in most black households.

"If a man doesn't work, he doesn't eat."

He will never be on any world war II documentaries, and he never received a medal of honor from any President, but that is ok with me.

He was my hero because he went and did a job he didn't sign up for and did it well and kept people alive. Upon his arrival back in the states, he took care of his family and taught us all the value of hard work.

My Grandfather Joseph Vick, The veteran, and the American Dream.