Veteran’s Day by Citrus

From Citrus' myspace blog

I know there are a LOT of heroes out there. I thank you.
For me...especially now that he has passed on, my HERO Veteran has been my Uncle Joseph P Delio.

He was in WWII. He was a radio operator on B-17s. Once while bombing Germany he was shot out of the sky. He was knocked out but came to his senses and pulled his Chute in the nick of time. He evaded the Germans for about 10 days, but was captured. He was put in a prison camp and then, he and his fellow prisoners endured a forced 80-day, 487-mile march across the wintry landscape, a trek that cost him 65 pounds and earned him severe frostbite. He managed to write a book on that march. He used cigarette package paper and bound them together with floss! matchbooks...whatever worked. That book is in my Aunt's possession now...tho it belongs in a museum or something.
He came home with 6 medals.
When I met Uncle Joe...it was long after the war obviously. He never said a word about it to me. I asked and asked but he wouldn't glorify himself or the war. He just wouldn't go there. Instead he was putting the "magic" into figure and hockey skaters blades... He had become the BEST skate sharpener in the world. Every Gold medalist sent their skates to him in the day.
He had three daughters...all of whom I love..but you know they drove him nutso! His patience was endless...his strength you could feel across the room..the flash of love in his eyes could brighten your darkest day.

He taught me my first trade. Sharpening Ice Skates. He played Chess with me. He was the one man in my family that I truly respected in the MOMENT, not just in retrospect. I watched and I learned....and a great many of my traits that I am complimented on are directly related to Uncle Joe.
I was given some of his clothes recently. Strange that we are the same size cuz I always thought of him as a giant.
He is my Hero and will not be forgotten as long as I live!

PDF about my uncle here!