My Life, My Story by Dan
What I valued most about my time in the service was the friendships I made; it really was a lot of fun. Some of those friendships continue to this day.
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Dan’s My Life, My Story
I was born in the fifties in Duluth, MN and lived with my parents, two sisters, and three brothers. I was born with an identical twin who passed away from esophageal cancer. My father was in the Army Air Corps so I always knew I wanted to join. When we were eighteen, my brother enlisted in the marines and I thought, “I don’t want to sit in mud, I want three hot meals a day instead of k-rations,” so I joined the navy instead. In the navy I worked on aviation for launch and recovery, which were long hours and was always hot. What I valued most about my time in the service was the friendships I made; it really was a lot of fun. Some of those friendships continue to this day. I also valued the travel I was able to do, we went skiing for four days in the alps and I was able to see Egypt, along with lots of other European countries such as Spain, France, and Italy. When we were in Egypt, the air conditioner broke on our ship, and we slept on top of the super structure because it was so hot. I remember it being particularly hot on the flight deck where I worked. I finished as a 3rd class petty officer, and after four years was asked to reenlist but I didn’t want to.
While I was in the service, my parents had bought a small motel in Grand Rapids, so I moved back to Minnesota to be with them. After moving home, I met my wife at a poker party, which we were both at because our parents knew each other. After that night she owed me some money, but she let me take her out on a date instead of paying me. Together we had three sons, a daughter, 13 grandkids, and 1 great grandkid. They live all over the world. I like to think that the secret to our marriage was being compatible, lots of hard work, and a little luck, but I also lived by the motto of “happy wife, happy life”.
After the service, I worked in combustion engineering and as a safety coordinator. I went back to school in Hibbing, MN and got my associate degree. My job included traveling around the Midwest for most of the week, but I always took summers off to be home with my kids and do the things I enjoy, such as cooking. My wife’s sister lives in Alaska and would send us salmon that I would cook in my smoker. Cooking is something I still enjoy doing. After over thirty years, I threw my watch away and retired. I then spent a lot of time traveling with my wife. We went all over the United Stated in a motor home that we bought and would bring my Harley along. In 2012, we bought a jeep and spent a week driving through Canada to visit my wife’s sister in Alaska. We made lots of stops, but one that stands out in particular was our visit to Denali National Park where we saw beautiful mountains and all sorts of wildlife, such as grizzly bears, moose, and caribou.
Besides traveling and cooking, painting is one of my other hobbies. I do watercolor and oil and like to paint pictures of pets and landscapes. Growing up, my mother was a sculptor, so I think that helped foster my love of art. I now give away most of the paintings that I make. My other hobbies include hunting with my son, spending time with my two poodles (Brie and Maggie), and fly-fishing. My wife passed away this past year after 38 years of marriage and it's been hard, but I have been able to continue doing things that I love, including planning trips, such as one to visit my sister in Houston. I had a stroke a few years back, but that hasn’t slowed me down too much and I am determined to live for the next ten years and continue doing the things that are important to me. If I could do it all over again, I wouldn’t do anything differently. My advice to others is to enjoy your work, do what you want, be happy, and don’t let anyone hold you back. You should live everyday of your life because life is short. I also am extremely grateful for the healthcare I have received and want to say thank you for all of the help you have given me.