Thursday, June 14, 2012

Flag Day

Today is Flag Day.  It was always a big deal to my grandfather, Ralph Beaman "Gramps".  I have blogged about this before--how he and his neighbor, Mr. Carter would see who could get out earliest to get their flag run up their respective flag poles.

Gramps fought in Europe during World War I.  When I was around 8 (that would have been about 1951), and I heard him talking about "the war" I asked him which war.  Apparently he was insulted (well, jeez, I was only 8) so he just said, "The Spanish American War"--he thought I'd get the not-so-subtle humor, but it went right over my 8-year-old head.  Many years later I recalled the conversation and "got" it.  :)

Well, anyway, Gramps died on June 12 in 1963, and was buried on--yep, June 14--Flag Day.  He's buried in Greenwood Cemetery in San Diego, overlooking his beloved swan lake and all over town the flags were flying as they drove him to the cemetery.  It was fitting and a little poetic.

Sometimes I really miss my grandparents.