Visiting Dad
Today I went to the Veterans Administration National Cemetery in Riverside. My father is buried there. I never visited his grave until now. I figured I would see him before I left California. The last time I was here was when I was less than a year old. My mom had pictures of her holding me next to his grave. In the picture there isn't any grass, just dirt everywhere. I guess the cemetery was new then. Now the place is very green.
It was a a little emotional for me. I didn't say anything, I just wanted to be there for a while. This was the closest to my father I would ever get to. I never thought about it much growing up. It also felt moving, to be in the place that I only saw in pictures for over twenty years. There were so many graves. This was my first time to a cemetery as well. My dad was placed with all the other World War II veterans. In the distance I could see other people visiting their loved ones who had passed on. Many of them seemed to be old wives.
The cemetery is located across Highway 15 from March Air Force Base. It's kind of creepy knowing that I was so close to my dad when I flew in and out of that air base to Iraq. On my dad's grave, it said he was a veteran of World War II, attained the rank of Tech 5, and he lived from September 31, 1916 to August 6, 1984.
It was a a little emotional for me. I didn't say anything, I just wanted to be there for a while. This was the closest to my father I would ever get to. I never thought about it much growing up. It also felt moving, to be in the place that I only saw in pictures for over twenty years. There were so many graves. This was my first time to a cemetery as well. My dad was placed with all the other World War II veterans. In the distance I could see other people visiting their loved ones who had passed on. Many of them seemed to be old wives.
The cemetery is located across Highway 15 from March Air Force Base. It's kind of creepy knowing that I was so close to my dad when I flew in and out of that air base to Iraq. On my dad's grave, it said he was a veteran of World War II, attained the rank of Tech 5, and he lived from September 31, 1916 to August 6, 1984.