Happy Birthday Dad

JoeWayneRhea

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Apr 5, 2015
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. He's been gone 15 years now but I can still hear his deep voice in my head ...Telling me about the virtues of the 30-06, Tom Laundry's Dallas Cowboys ,a honest days work , Open wheel racing , and Hoppes gun cleaner ....On his rare day off work he would always seem to have an old gun in his lap rubbing the stock down with Truoil, or polishing the worn metal of a gun long since it's prime . . To the best of my knowledge Dad never owned a brand new gun , and don't think he ever really wanted to...
Instead He bought his guns from old school gun shops , and beer drinking buddies hard up to pay bills and needing a little help to make it till payday ... He had a smell all his own made up of a mix of Tennessee whiskey , motor oil , and when possible good ol Hoppes number 9, and of course TruOil....
He would probably think it silly the price I pay for some of my Airguns , but would be proud I still use Truoil and sanding blocks on the stocks instead of one of the new miracle finishes or power tools .. .
..And if its quiet i can still hear him in my ear, and feel him over my shoulder watching to make sure his help was there if I needed it . I know cleaning airguns like I do isn't necessary, but I'll struggle thru the ocassinal tears to stay close to Dad . As I get older little things make memories come flooding back ..Hoppes #9 and its unique smell is Dad ...H to his family
So when no one else is around and i need to clear my head I listen for his voice and polish on the cold metal and wood and I think of the man I miss most in the world , and wonder how he would feel about the man I've become .
 
My father in his prime was a hard-working, no poop, tough SOB! However, it was when we hunted together was when he lighten up. It was important to take care of our guns. He always had a spare oil soaked rag in his gun case. We cleaned thoughs guns all the time. He just gave all his guns away since he is unable to shoot any longer. They were all thoroughly cleaned and oiled and his guns after 40-50 were in prestine condition. 
Thanks for the memory Joe!
 
Joe,I say it to all the young guys I know.
"There is no man in the world like your Dad"
my Dad was a hard working electrician,plumber,house buider,had 1 patent,was a father to 4.
His favorite words of advice"Never pass up a good oportunity to shut your mouth"
That advice works well with women!
I have great memories with hoppes 9,flux smell from sweating a pipe,and hearing someone talk with a Slavic accent.
I lost him in 91,lost my Mom in 81.
I see where you get your good looks from you handsome bastard!
God bless our Dads ,and God bless us too.
(He did,He gave us our Dads)
peace to you my friend
joe
 
Just like everyone's here, my dad too was a very hard-working, selfless, generous, admirable, kind, and handsome man. Sadly, he passed away at a very young age due to cancer, and I was only twelve at the time. He owned two guns, a Smith & Wesson 1911 and an Armalite (I don't know exactly which model it was) and was proud to own them. Reflecting back, his 1911 was beautiful. It had gorgeous bluing and rosewood grips; it looked like it was a special edition model. I remember watching him cleaning both of his guns with WD-40 to the point they were well-oiled and glimmering with luster. He would even clean them even when they hadn't gone through a shooting session. It's too bad we never had the opportunity to shoot together or have him teach me how to really shoot because at the time I did not have an interest in firearms. That said, I had to learn about shooting and develop my shooting skills on my own. I remember the time, though, when he bought me my first Daisy pump airgun. Since that day, my interest in airguns started to build. If my dad were alive today, I'm sure we would be at the range all the time and doing some hunting together. And you can bet we would be cleaning our guns alongside one another. Even though I wasn't able to actually see his shooting abilities, I know for sure that my discipline and skills today are an inheritance from him.
 
Nice memory's guys, I have a Stevens 22 that is about 70 years old from my dad, He passed about 58 years ago, Our fathers lived and grew up in a vey different world than what we have now, 
I know we have a lot of people on this site from a lot of different country's.
But in the USA its our god given right to be armed with weapons to defend our family and
our land.
Mike

 
I couldn't have asked for a better father. Growing up his 4 boys wanted for nothing. He gave us all our first rifle and shotgun. After that if we wanted for anything he always provided the opportunity for us to earn the money needed. We all had BB and air guns. It was a common sight to see 3 of us walking down the road with model 25 daisy BB guns. I also remember there was a 5x6ft window in front of the kitchen table where we would as a family all eat breakfast every morning together. In the corner was a BB hole. He never had it replaced and never said anything about it. Us 4 boys suffered in silence and guilt for years. The reason this thread strikes so close to home and my hart is that ALL of the family is gathering together this coming Saturday to celebrate dad's 100th birthday. 
 
Joe My Dad is 92 and is not able to enjoy outdoor activities now. A lot of times now I think about the many great memories that were created hunting and fishing with Him .We laugh and talk about those adventures now the fish have got bigger with time .The game pouches heavier .Time will take Him to His final destination with His Heavenly Father and I will be left with memories and a challenge to create new memories with My Kids and grand kids until I take that final journey to be with him to create new and everlasting memories with Him again .Thanks for reminding Us about what is really important . Stan