I found out this week I lost a friend. He was an ecletic, ecentric fellow that lived life his way and to Hell with everyone else. Unfortunatly with people like that things don't happen normally. He died on May 27th and I found out this week. There was no funeral in fact he was creamated and his remains are at the funeral home cause his family does not want them.

He was a retired Chief Master Sargent in the Navy, "the old school kind" he truly gave everything and lost everything for his country. If he was more badass as a young man than the old man I knew then we were truly secure during his time of service. One of his final wishes was for a full military funeral and his family has denied him that. I fear for them cause I know he will haunt them from the grave.

I never saw him with more on than a pair of boxers. I think the last time he shaved was his last day in the Navy cause he had a beard that went halfway down his chest. He owned a trailer park, had had open heart surgery and needed 24 hour care. Not so much because he was invalid but to keep him from drinking and smoking himself to death sooner than he did. The last time he was in the hospital they checked him out cause he kept riding a toy tractor up and down the hall and would not quit smoking and drinking in his room. As his secretary put it "He smoked like a train"

Even in his condition and his habits I knew he could kick my 40 year old ass whenever he wanted. There are a lot of definitions of a real man or a man's man, Harold along with my grandfather will always be that definition in my book.

Harold, I hope you enjoy this tribute and the bottle of Jack and the Cohiba I will enjoy as I remeber you.