Veteran's Day theft

I am blatantly stealing this post from Laura but I love this picture and didn't even know it existed until this morning. Here is the story behind it:

My grandma was married to JD Holzheauser, a Captain in the US Army, and they had one son, my uncle Johnny. When Johnny was around a year old JD was sent to England to serve in World War II. While there he served with his best friend, Ed Kitch. JD is on the left and Ed on the right in this picture.

Sadly, JD was in a jeep accident and killed while overseas, making my grandma a widow in her early 20's and a single mom to her young son. Knowing this situation would be very difficult for her, JD's loyal friend Ed went to check in on my grandma when he returned to the states. They developed a strong bond and eventually fell in love and married.

My grandpa adopted & raised Johnny and together Grandma & Grandpa had my other uncle, Joel and my mom. They had been married just shy of 51 years when my grandpa passed away.

I am so grateful they all sacrificed what they did to serve our country and preserve our freedoms. My grandpa was always an example of integrity and strength of character. He wouldn't commit to anything unless he knew he could do it 100%. He was an extremely hard worker and hated having anyone else do anything for him. He adored my grandma and would have moved heaven and earth to make her happy. He also loved little children and at over 6 feet tall, was a gentle giant. He had these massive hands but they had such a comforting touch. I often think of how much he would love Kiara and imagine they would have a special bond like I had with him.

I have so many warm, happy memories of my grandpa and I am so grateful the Lord guided him to my grandma to create the family that they did. He left quite a legacy and there are many who miss him.