well just had to brag on my youngest grandson a bit

[gearjammer]

I was looking for something to do with my youngest grandson (8) so last October I took him to the Y to watch a karate class and they invited him to practice with them. he immediately fell in love with it and he took o it like a duck to water!!
tonight he passed his test and earned his purple belt, he has earned 4 belts in five months most people take 2 to four years so that is quite an accomplishment he is already half way to his next belt!
the black belts have seen his dedication and are working with him they are all hoping he becomes the youngest black belt to graduate their dojo
so of course I have to brag just a bit

 

[Electric Chicken]

I was looking for something to do with my youngest grandson (8) so last October I took him to the Y to watch a karate class and they invited him to practice with them. he immediately fell in love with it and he took o it like a duck to water!!
tonight he passed his test and earned his purple belt, he has earned 4 belts in five months most people take 2 to four years so that is quite an accomplishment he is already half way to his next belt!
the black belts have seen his detection and are working with him they are all hoping he becomes the youngest black belt to graduate their dojo
so of course I have to brag just a bit

That's awesome.

 

[Rigjockey]

That's a good sport for building strength and cardio and also good for discipline.
You should be proud he is doing so well!

 

[Hillbilly Canuck]

My boys are 10 and 14 and been in Kenpo karate for the last 7 years. It's been one of the best things we've done for them. They've been to a number of tournaments and demonstrations and done quite well. My older boy was teaching classes for the smaller inexperienced kids when we left Ontario.

Their sensei has continued with them over video chat since there are no Kenpo schools on the island except St John's. They do have to go back this summer for junior black belt (10) and probationary black belt testing (14)

 

[Duck]

@gearjammer screenshot your opening post in this thread. Send it to your grandson's mom or dad, (whichever one is your kid) with the instructions to save it on a portable drive or print it, and show it to your grandson when he's an adult, if you're no longer around.

Your grandson will really like to have it but he doesn't know it yet because he's still a child.

There are SO many things I'd like to ask my grandpa about but he died when I was 20.

 

[389 Hood]

At least you got to know them. Mine were all gone before I was born.

 

[Electric Chicken]

My grandfathers died when I was either an infant or a toddler. My paternal grandmother also died when I was basically a baby. My maternal grandmother is still kickin' although she finally slowed down a couple years ago.

 

[gearjammer]

@gearjammer screenshot your opening post in this thread. Send it to your grandson's mom or dad, (whichever one is your kid) with the instructions to save it on a portable drive or print it, and show it to your grandson when he's an adult, if you're no longer around.

Your grandson will really like to have it but he doesn't know it yet because he's still a child.

There are SO many things I'd like to ask my grandpa about but he died when I was 20.

my daughter saves everything for the boys but I like this idea thanks

 

[Duck]

At least you got to know them. Mine were all gone before I was born.

My other grandpa died while my mom was still pregnant with me.

He served in the Coast Guard then was drafted into the Navy during WW2.

Nobody in the family knew anything more than that, until several of his shipmates spoke at his funeral, because he never talked about it.

He was one of the 316 survivors of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis. He hung onto some floating debris for several days until he was rescued by the PBY Catalina flying boats. He watched his friends give up and drown, and others get attacked by sharks.

Came home and never f*n told anyone about it.

But that's how close I came to never existing, as this happened 5 years before my mom was born.

 

[Electric Chicken]

My other grandpa died while my mom was still pregnant with me.

He served in the Coast Guard then was drafted into the Navy during WW2.

Nobody in the family knew anything more than that, until several of his shipmates spoke at his funeral, because he never talked about it.

He was one of the 316 survivors of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis. He hung onto some floating debris for several days until he was rescued by the PBY Catalina flying boats. He watched his friends give up and drown, and others get attacked by sharks.

Came home and never f*n told anyone about it.

But that's how close I came to never existing, as this happened 5 years before my mom was born.

Dang we missed it by a smidge.

 

[389 Hood]

There were many things my dad would never talk about that happened in the wars. He was in WWII, Korea and trained Marines for Viet Nam.

As a kid, when I saw him I always asked to hear stories. He always told me that he saw and did things that he wants to forget and then he wouldn't say anything.

 

[Rigjockey]

My Grandfather was in WWII. he never talked about it, so I am told, He never talked about it.
I used to sit at a table at the Legion with a Vietnam vet. I loved that guy; he was a great person.
One time this other younger guy was sitting at the table when I sat down and the younger guy says, he has some great stories. I said he sure does!
The Vet said, some things I can tell you and other things I can't.
I never pried him for stories but if he wanted to talk, let him talk, I would listen.

 

[Electric Chicken]

My dad was in Korea during Nam and he talks more about the Korean chicks than what he did for the Army.

At least that's what he says. I don't know if he went to Vietnam and doesn't want to talk about it or if he stayed in Korea the whole time for whatever reason.

 

[Hillbilly Canuck]

My Grandfather was in WWII. he never talked about it, so I am told, He never talked about it.
I used to sit at a table at the Legion with a Vietnam vet. I loved that guy; he was a great person.
One time this other younger guy was sitting at the table when I sat down and the younger guy says, he has some great stories. I said he sure does!
The Vet said, some things I can tell you and other things I can't.
I never pried him for stories but if he wanted to talk, let him talk, I would listen.

My dad was in Nam and he didn't talk about it very often. When he did he was usually a blubbering mess. Also he did not do well with fireworks at all.

 

[Duck]

My other grandpa was also in WW2, Pacific, Navy.

He was a mechanic who maintained the refrigeration equipment on a supply ship.

While searching for my grandma's living will in 2013, I found a box full of letters he sent her during the war.

Really sappy love letters.

But on every letter he wrote the date & his location.

Using that info, I was able to sort of piece together a map and timeline.

As far as I know, his ship was never involved in any combat.

But he did arrive in Leyte just two days after a major combat incident there, which was not mentioned in the letter.

He was injured somehow though. One of his letters was sent from "Naval Hospital" Great Lakes, IL, shortly after VJ day. But it must not have been a very serious injury because I found a photo of him dated during his time in that hospital, and he's lying down on some grass in some kind of landscaped courtyard, reading a book, wearing nothing but shorts. I didn't see any bandages either. I don't think he got a purple heart or anything.

But he also never talked about the war.