I would like to introduce my Dad

William Paul Thornburgh

Like so many Dad's here from AR my Dad gave several years of his life to protect the European front in WW2.

He served his duty arming B24 bombers and rarely spoke of the time he spent over there.

He loved to fish, hunt and make a big garden. He was a farmer at heart.

He so loved his two sons and family that he would have taken a bullet or stepped into rush hour traffic to save any of us.

A great craftsman he could carve "whittle" anything or hand craft a fine knife. Most of wich he gave away.

There was nothing any of us kids ever broke that he couldnt fix



Here he is with my Mom Lita.....they were married nearly 50 years

A young couple newly wed just weeks before this picture was taken.

My Dad sold his life to the tool and die industry to make my life and my brothers life better than his.

41 years with Central Die....St Louis Mo

I spent many hours in that old shop with my Dad....I should have known I would follow in his footsteps as a machinist myself.

I lost him on September 24th 1995 when he was 73 from a 4 year battle with a rare disease

Not a single damn day goes by that I dont think about how much he means to me and I miss him greatly.

Cheers Dad.....your my hero and I miss you more and more each day

Ted

Really good post Ted. Thank You.

Ted -
Thanks for the reminder. My Dad was also a WWII vet. He served on a destroyer in the South Pacific told had stories about everything from kamikaze attacks to the "recreational" opportunities in Honolulu. He worked as a truck driver and raised 4 kids that always had a decent roof over their heads and food on the table.

Dad was a good man and I was very close to him. He did not share my enthusiasm for hunting (but learned to be a great wild game chef, for my benefit.) It was a shock to lose him in 2010 after 87 years of life, one month to the day after losing Mom. It is of some comfort to know that they both went quickly and were sharp of mind up to the end.

Like you, I cannot get through a single day without thinking of him.

Like most all kids, there were times that my dad and I didn't always see eye to eye. However, with age and two young boys of my own, I'm eternally grateful for those lessons he taught me even though I disagreed with them and often didn't even realize he was teaching me.

When younger, dad took me hunting many times. Sometimes I think it was more for me than himself. In recent years, I've been lucky enough to have him come up from Oklahoma and spend a few days with me and friends hunting here in Colorado. Now, it seems as though the rolls have changed a bit and now I'm dragging him along and spotting for him versus me always being the man behind the trigger. It seems as though each of these hunting trips become more cherished than the last.

He was with me on the day I killed my first bull elk just 5 short years ago. This busted up 6x3 bull with always have a special place on my wall and in my heart.


I found these bucks the night before and decided to wait until the morning. Went back at daylight, found them again and decided to go round up my dad and his long time hunting buddy. It was a great feeling of accomplishment to get them back on the bucks and complete the hunt. Even though dad chose to take the smaller of the two, I think you can read his satisfaction with the hunt.


Happy Father's Day to all!!!

Very nice posts guys, very nice. Happy Fathers Day to you all!
I too am thinking of my dad on this day as I celebrate it with my youngest son.
Hope you all had the very best.

Great post ted, and the others as well. My dad is 80, the toughest, most honest, has the highest integrity, has always put his family's interests before his, and is the greatest role model I could have ever hoped to have. God Bless you dad.

Happy belated fathers day to you all.