I am, by my own admission, a reluctant writer. But some stories demand to be told. We must pick up our pen when we hear them, lest we forget and the stories are lost.  Six years ago, in a quiet conversation with my friend Marvin, I learned the tragic story his father, a WW2 B-29 Airplane Commander, shot down over Nagoya, Japan, just months before the end of the war.

As former president Bill Clinton has famously said: “They were the fathers we never knew, the uncles we never met, the friends who never returned, the heroes we can never repay. They gave us our world. And those simple sounds of freedom we hear today are their voices speaking to us across the years.”

Such a man was Marv’s father. A father he never knew. The telling of the story that evening by this half orphan was so moving and full of emotion compelled me to ask if I could write the story. The result being “They Called Him Marvin.” My life has profoundly been touched in so many ways by being part of documenting this sacred story. As a people, I pray that we never forget the depth of sacrifice made by ordinary people like Marvin and his father and mother on our behalf.

My career as an addiction counselor (CDP) lead me to write “The Waterfall Concept; A Blueprint for Addiction Recovery” and co-author “Reclaiming Your Addicted Brain.” After my counseling retirement, I decided I wanted to learn more about the craft of writing and started attending classes at Portland, Oregon’s Attic Institute. I learned that there is an astounding number of great writers in my area, and they were willing to help others improve their skills. I am grateful to many of them.

My next project is already underway, a memoir of growing in SW Washington called “Life on a Sorta Farm.” My wife of 49 years, Susan, and I still live in that area.  We raised seven children and have eleven grandchildren. We love to travel and see the sites and cultures of the world. I still get on my bicycle whenever I can.