Dean and Daddy are together again
Wed Sep 10, 2008 2:29 pm
Dear Friends,
On August 17, 2008 my beloved Daddy lost his five and one half year battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 82, and was himself a WWII veteran. I chose to post this, after all this time away from the board, for several reasons, but first and foremost to thank and let so many of you know what your kindness meant to my Dad. My heart has not been this completely broken in a very long time. Although it was miraculous that he lived as long as he did, we still only had four days after we learned the cancer had spread until he was gone.
Steve,
Your painting hung on my Dad's wall until the day he died! You will never know how much it meant to both of us!
Martin,
Dad also had the photo of Dean's P-51 on his wall when he died. Your tribute page to Dean brought tears to his eyes! We both thank you from the bottom of our hearts!
Dan,
Your drawing meant the world to both of us, Dad loved seeing her as she once looked!
Jack,
Thank you for keeping Dean's story alive on this board. I read back through some of the old posts.
To all the rest of those who have been so kind to not only Daddy and I but to Dean's memory..... Thank you!
My Dad idolized his Uncle Dean, and it was his sincere wish that someday he would see his plane again. My oldest son and I took him to the MAAM WWII days this past June, and he wore a shirt I created for him with the picture Martin sent us on the front of it.
So many of you have made such a difference in our lives, and we will be forever grateful.
To steal a line from the Faith Hill song, "In my dreams I'll always see you soar above the sky" only in my dream Daddy and Dean are soaring together.
Thank you all again, and God Bless!
Karen
On August 17, 2008 my beloved Daddy lost his five and one half year battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 82, and was himself a WWII veteran. I chose to post this, after all this time away from the board, for several reasons, but first and foremost to thank and let so many of you know what your kindness meant to my Dad. My heart has not been this completely broken in a very long time. Although it was miraculous that he lived as long as he did, we still only had four days after we learned the cancer had spread until he was gone.
Steve,
Your painting hung on my Dad's wall until the day he died! You will never know how much it meant to both of us!
Martin,
Dad also had the photo of Dean's P-51 on his wall when he died. Your tribute page to Dean brought tears to his eyes! We both thank you from the bottom of our hearts!
Dan,
Your drawing meant the world to both of us, Dad loved seeing her as she once looked!
Jack,
Thank you for keeping Dean's story alive on this board. I read back through some of the old posts.
To all the rest of those who have been so kind to not only Daddy and I but to Dean's memory..... Thank you!
My Dad idolized his Uncle Dean, and it was his sincere wish that someday he would see his plane again. My oldest son and I took him to the MAAM WWII days this past June, and he wore a shirt I created for him with the picture Martin sent us on the front of it.
So many of you have made such a difference in our lives, and we will be forever grateful.
To steal a line from the Faith Hill song, "In my dreams I'll always see you soar above the sky" only in my dream Daddy and Dean are soaring together.
Thank you all again, and God Bless!
Karen
Wed Sep 10, 2008 3:06 pm
Condolences, Karen, on your loss; and wishing quick comfort and healing to family and friends now hurting.
????
Wed Sep 10, 2008 3:07 pm
Very very sorry to hear of your loss!!!
Wed Sep 10, 2008 3:12 pm
Sorry to hear of your loss...Our prayers are with you and your family.
Zane
Zane
Wed Sep 10, 2008 3:46 pm
Godspeed.
I read the article in Warbird Digest last week and thought of you and your family.
I read the article in Warbird Digest last week and thought of you and your family.
???
Wed Sep 10, 2008 4:02 pm
Karen this may interest you, from Tim Savage.
We ran the entire story of Dean Gilmore that Karen sent us a number of years ago. It was four pages of text.
I spoke with Jack R. about it before doing so and he was adamant that Dean's story was part of the history of the airplane and he had no problem whatsoever with us publishing it...in fact he encouraged it.
We ran the entire story of Dean Gilmore that Karen sent us a number of years ago. It was four pages of text.
I spoke with Jack R. about it before doing so and he was adamant that Dean's story was part of the history of the airplane and he had no problem whatsoever with us publishing it...in fact he encouraged it.
Fri Sep 12, 2008 7:05 pm
Thank you all so much. I had no idea Dean's plane was finished and flying again, or that anything had been published about her or Dean, until I saw Django's post. It has been a rough year. My one wish is that Daddy could have seen her fly again before he was gone.
I am thrilled that Mr. Roush is willing to allow Dean's story to be told in conjunction with the plane. If anyone out there has any contact with him, please tell him how incredibly sorry I am for believing that he didn't care!
That's what I get for believing someone before I have corroborating information.
Now I need to find some way to go see her fly. I need to do this for Daddy and for Dean, and for myself as well.
There are so many more of you that I know I need to thank, and I apologize that at the moment I can't remember all of you. I am healing a little more every day, but my memory still isn't what it needs to be.
God bless you all! You truly are the most admiral, sweetest bunch of guys I have ever known!
Karen
I am thrilled that Mr. Roush is willing to allow Dean's story to be told in conjunction with the plane. If anyone out there has any contact with him, please tell him how incredibly sorry I am for believing that he didn't care!
That's what I get for believing someone before I have corroborating information.
Now I need to find some way to go see her fly. I need to do this for Daddy and for Dean, and for myself as well.
There are so many more of you that I know I need to thank, and I apologize that at the moment I can't remember all of you. I am healing a little more every day, but my memory still isn't what it needs to be.
God bless you all! You truly are the most admiral, sweetest bunch of guys I have ever known!
Karen
????
Fri Sep 12, 2008 7:28 pm
Karen,
If you send a PM to Tim Savage here on the wix board I'm sure he'd
send you a copy of his magazine with the story. I'm equally certain he
forward a note to Jack Rousch for you.
If you send a PM to Tim Savage here on the wix board I'm sure he'd
send you a copy of his magazine with the story. I'm equally certain he
forward a note to Jack Rousch for you.
Sat Sep 13, 2008 3:19 am
Karen,
My sincerest condolences.
Tulio
My sincerest condolences.
Tulio
Sat Sep 13, 2008 3:43 am
Karen,
Very sorry to hear you lost your Dad. My sincere condolences.
Paul
Very sorry to hear you lost your Dad. My sincere condolences.
Paul
Sat Sep 13, 2008 11:17 am
My condolences and prayers to you and yous in this diffcult time.
Vaya con Dios
Jesse Chavez
Vaya con Dios
Jesse Chavez
Mon Sep 15, 2008 8:09 pm
Thank you all!
It means so much to know so many care! May God bless all of you always!
Karen
It means so much to know so many care! May God bless all of you always!
Karen
Mon Sep 15, 2008 11:15 pm
My loved ones mourn with you. We share your hurt.
john
john
Tue Sep 16, 2008 12:15 am
Sorry to hear of your loss Karen...Dean and your Dad fly together now. Best wishes...
JW
JW
Tue Sep 16, 2008 7:43 am
Again, thank you all! I wanted to add a note about my Dad's own brave service, during WWII.
Daddy enlisted February 2, 1945. After all his training he was deployed to the South Pacific, and was scheduled to be part of the invasion force to Japan, when the first bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, August 6, 1945. After this, Dad told me that had things not occured as they did, he likely would not have made it to Japan. Several Japanese submarines surface in the waters all around where their ship was travelling.
Daddy spent ten months in Japan when he received word, his Dad, Dean's oldest brother had drowned in a freak accident during a flood. Grandpa Harry, (Dean and my grandfather's father) lost two sons in less than two years. I can't imagine the pain he must have endured.
A few days before he died, my Dad told me he became a lifetime member of the Piper Aviation Museum, here in Lock Haven, PA, because his Dad was his hero, and he wanted to get a memorial brick for him to be placed in the memorial walkway. Dad was a lifetime member for four days when he died. At Dad's funeral, I gave a eulogy, and shared with everyone, that I too, am going to become a lifetime member of the museum so that Daddy can have a brick right next to his Dad's, because like his father before him, my Dad is my hero!
Below are four pictures of Dad, the first two are during his service in WWII, the third is while he was a member of the PA National Guard.
The last photo is from Dad's memorial, his ashes are under the flag.
Thank you for endulging my sense of pride in my Dad's service. Granted he was not a pilot, but he was a very brave, patriotic American who dearly loved this country.
Daddy enlisted February 2, 1945. After all his training he was deployed to the South Pacific, and was scheduled to be part of the invasion force to Japan, when the first bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, August 6, 1945. After this, Dad told me that had things not occured as they did, he likely would not have made it to Japan. Several Japanese submarines surface in the waters all around where their ship was travelling.
Daddy spent ten months in Japan when he received word, his Dad, Dean's oldest brother had drowned in a freak accident during a flood. Grandpa Harry, (Dean and my grandfather's father) lost two sons in less than two years. I can't imagine the pain he must have endured.
A few days before he died, my Dad told me he became a lifetime member of the Piper Aviation Museum, here in Lock Haven, PA, because his Dad was his hero, and he wanted to get a memorial brick for him to be placed in the memorial walkway. Dad was a lifetime member for four days when he died. At Dad's funeral, I gave a eulogy, and shared with everyone, that I too, am going to become a lifetime member of the museum so that Daddy can have a brick right next to his Dad's, because like his father before him, my Dad is my hero!
Below are four pictures of Dad, the first two are during his service in WWII, the third is while he was a member of the PA National Guard.
The last photo is from Dad's memorial, his ashes are under the flag.
Thank you for endulging my sense of pride in my Dad's service. Granted he was not a pilot, but he was a very brave, patriotic American who dearly loved this country.