Father's Day Tribute to My Father and a Special Father's Day Tribute to My Dad

This is a tribute to my father and a tribute to my dad. Happy Father's Day to my father (Silas), and a special Happy Father's Day to my Dad (Jim). You both contributed to my being who I am and will strive to always be.

Father!

You went off to serve in World War II

The Day that I arrived

Mom cried and prayed

That you would come back alive

You left so fast

We had no time to bond

You would not see me learn to walk or talk

Or see me learn to run

Mom told me all about you

But she didn't know the half

She told me you would love me

That you would really make me laugh.

Mom never told me

That I would learn to love you too

She never told me that you would not stay

And I would really miss you

Next time you went away

Mom must have had a premonition

There was someone new

Both you and Mom had grown

How much you had grow apart

Is something neither one had known

Don't think I am blaming Mom

Don't think I am blaming you

I knew that you both had to

Do what each of you must do

And Mom had grown up

Taking care of me

And fending for herself

She had grown up all alone

When you came home

And angry words were spoken

The fighting would begin

You gave her two more children then you left again

I heard that you got remarried

And I hoped that she loved you

I was happy that you found sombody new

But we lost touch with you

For the next few years we wondered

If you thought about us too

Your daughter

And two sons you barely knew

One day Mom found someone new

From the first day that we met him

That is when we knew

That we would love him too.

Dad is the one who raised us

And cheered us up when we were sad

Though he could not replace you

He became our dad

Dad brushed away the tears

When something made us cry

And he always taught us right from wrong

He taught us to never tell a lie

He taught us to be kind

And to always show respect

He taught us how to care

And stand up for each other when he could not be there

Dad cried as he walked me down the aisle

And handed me to a man he barely knew

He prayed that man would love me

And to me he would be true

Dad worried about my brothers

When they went off to war

And prayed that God would keep them safe

That is what Dads are for

My brother Darrell

Drafted to go to Vietnam

And he was proud

To go and serve our country

Darrell received his papers

To before he turned 18 and

Mom did signfor him to marry

His sweetheart before he would go to war

When my brother Tony heard

His brother was caught-up in the draft

He could not stand to be alone

Without his best friend in the house

I know that Dad was worried

Though he laughed when he heard what Tony said

He will enlist to protect his brother

He is the only brother that he has

While my brothers were serving in Vietnam

My two sons were born

I know that Dad was proud

They are his grandsons

I believed my father had a right to know

That he was a grandfather

And that his two sons had gone to war

I set-out to find him so I could tell him more

Someone said he lives in Texas

But they don't know where

I search through the white pages

In many places there

I never knew how many people

Had my father's name

When I began to call

And eventually I found him

Living in Fort Worth

I call the number and when the answer came

I said, "Are you my father?"

I could hear he got choked-up when he

Called my name

Within weeks my father came to visit

With a stepmother, three sisters and another brother

But that is not how the story ends

Mom and Dad moved to Texas

And My father and my dad became good friends

Rest in Peace, Silas D. my father

And James Winkler, my Dad

Happy Father's Day to you both

We are blessed you are the Parents that we had.