My Dad is the American Dream personified, the proof that if you want it bad enough and are willing to work for it, you can go as far as you wish to go. He did not graduate high school but took his GED in the Navy, has no college degree but has some credits. His experience in the Navy and love of electronics prompted Motorla to hire him right out of the service, then on to other companies and on into history. Can't tell I love him huh?
Journaling reads:
My father has been my hero as long as I can remember. He's actually pretty humble about his life. Born just as the Great Depression was ending, life was still really tough in rural Oklahoma. My grandparents took up work as migrant farm workers. Against all the odds, Daddy joined the Navy as a sonarman. After, he worked at Interstate Electronics and, later, IBM helping to put man into space and on the Moon. Later still he helped design IBM's personal computer. When my oldest son did a project for school, Daddy wondered why I had Justin interview him, said he'd never done much of interest or importance. I said "REALLY? You put man in space and on the Moon. You are one of a select few with the knowledge to run the systems on Skylab. You helped with the PC and changed society forever." I could hear the gasp. And when we visited later, the look of wonder on his face was priceless as his grandsons listened breathlessly to his stories and he realized just how great his contributions have been. HUMBLE, indeed!