Barracuda - Totally Driven!

Thinking of you today Grandpa Harley and Daddy Bill. Thank you for everything you gave to us Americans.

My dad, Billy Eugene Gann, retired as Petty Officer First Class after serving 24 years as a meteorologist in the United States Navy. He tried to join early to fight in WWII, and finally got my grandmother to sign a waiver when he was 17 to allow him to join. He missed the big war, but kicked the USSR nuclear missiles out of Cuba in Bay of Pigs. He passed in 2007 at the age of 76 of natural causes. RIP.

My brother John Robert Gann retired after 28 years as a Major in the United States Air Force serving as a Russian Interpreter intercepting and decoding USSR transmissions and was a Math Professor at the USAF Academy in Colorado Springs.

William Earl Gann, my oldest brother, was a Gunnery Sergeant for the United States Marine Infantry for 22 years and served three tours in Vietnam.

My grandad Alex Morris was a medic for the Royal Army in WWII, he fought for soldiers lives for 4 years on the front lines and NEVER CARRIED A GUN.

Thank you ALL FOR YOUR SERVICE.

Right on Derek, very cool of you to recall each man's service... thanks to each of them and may their service never be forgotten or taken for granted!

Both sides of my family are military, so the list is very long but I will share what I think is something cool. After my uncle retired out of the army he went to work for the CIA and State Dept, it was very hush hush stuff. Often he'd give us the ol, "I can't tell you where I'm going and I won't tell you what I'm doing or when I'll be home... so don't ask!" He'd be gone for days or weeks and then almost out of the blue he was home. He'd have some cool thing from his travels for us to have or share. When we got older, we were more savvy to what was up, we'd hear in the news about a Soviet satellite station blowing up or whatever and then he would turn up the next day with a Soviet officer's pocket watch. Cool stuff for the boys of the family to get our heads all twisted up over! He is now the family tree guy, he has given copies to all of us sharing personal or family wills going back to the Mayflower Compact, duty or service rosters of our family members that fought in every war going back to the Revolutionary War against the King of England, and all sorts of priceless family info. Many of my native american relatives' names on those lists too, they fought for ancestry and their homeland, so many died trying to preserve what little they had left to call home. My family tree is twisted and complex!!! Must be why I'm the way I am! As a family we look back over those documents and see the names of a few hundred men that took up arms to fight for and defend my right to be free and have choice... words fall short... it's always like getting boot kicked in the gut! PRIDE!!!