Never met my grandfather on my mom's side but think about him from time to time. People say I look like him.
He lied about his age to get into the Army, and as part of the 101st Airborne he boarded a plane the evening of June 5th
If he was like many of the other Pathfinders, an experimental group sent ahead to Mark the landing zones, he shaved his head into a Mohawk and painted his face black with shoe polish.
They were scared as hell as the plane engines hummed and they stepped into the free fall of the night early morning June 6th in Normandy, France.
They landed in the countryside, many in flooded fields, some never got any footing and drowned. Thosenthat did grasped for their gear in the dark and prayed they were not surrounded by landmines.
My pop, Paul Balcavage,, lived through it but didn't talk about the war and I think it messed him up on some level. War does that to people.
For a long time I wanted to jump out of a plane to identify, in some small way, with the cajones he had. I'm over that but I greatly admire him for his want to take a fight to an evil Nazi army.
I used to be lassez fair, even blind, to the evil around me. Now by the power of the Holy Spirit, by God's grace, I stare it down, I pursue it, do not allow it in my presence. I fear nothing, and am raising warrior boys to be the same way, to protect the weak, the orphan, the widow as all Christians are called to do.
My boys are a little rough around the edges, but I'm proud of their grit. They work hard, they don't cry or whine or tattle like so many kids now, they can take a punch, they own their mistakes, their sin, they repent, they know they need Jesus in this broken world, I'm certain.
I pray for my Pops soul, Lord have mercy on him, and I thank God for his example in his bravery and his service. Just thought of him while laying here next to Fin as he falls asleep, my little warrior.
I'm inspired by people who are hunting evil, shining light in darkness - people like Isabelle Bax Finney Monica Crowley Guaglione Dustin DeYoe Andrew Suggs Brent Dusing John Clifford Chi-Hua Chien Fred Smith Grady Pickett Austin H. Medley Jane Golden Larisa Katko Dan Stone Skip Vaccarello Michael Harder Theodore Mathis ...
Who are the warriors in your life, dead or alive, that inspire you to stand firm against those who seek to abuse, kill, and destroy?
