The story about Mr. William “Bill” Adams just keeps getting better and better.  This email came in today from one of his daughters in San Antonio –

My name is Kathy.  William E. Adams, who is called Bill and Billy by close friends and family, is my father and I am the third of his three “girls” as he calls us.  I have just returned from a week’s visit to Richmond where my 86 year old mother and 89 year old father still live in the house in which I grew up.  Although my father spends most of his day in a hospital bed at home, he insisted on dressing in his WWII uniform on Veterans Day.  As I helped him into his shirt and jacket, he was concerned that his metals were straight and in order.  At times my father’s short term memory gets confused but make no mistake, his memories of WWII are clear and distinct.  He told me, it was hard for him to imagine that he was that young and brave as he recalled landing on the Utah beach in Normandy.  We call that being “bullet proof” these days.  Makes me wonder where that cliché originated.  Thank you for posting your responses to the photo of my father saluting the American flag.  They have brightened my mother and his “girl’s” hearts, but most importantly his.  Being remembered at his age is a rarity and this has brought much joy to a time when the days are long but the years are short.

My father was Captain Field Artillery in the 5th Division, Third US Army under General George Patton; he served July 1, 1940 to January 17, 1946.
 
For his service to our country he received the Bronze Star with two V’s for valor, the European Theatre Silver Star for 5 Battles, two of which were the Normandy Campaign where he went in on D-17 and the Battle of the Bulge Campaign.  He also received a medal for American Defense, World War II Victory, and the Army of the Occupation of Germany.  One of my favorite stories he tells is about an evening when his French interpreter came to tell him that the Americans had taken possession of a barn in France formerly held by the Germans, full of French Champagne, Cointreau, and Cognac.  My father went immediately to “secure” the situation.  Ernest Hemmingway was in the area as a news correspondent,  covering the war, heard about the takeover and came immediately and sat up all night with my father to help “hold watch” until relief came.  Everyone asks my father what Mr. Hemmingway had to say.  My father said he was not much of a talker; he was there to ask questions and to participate in the “safeguarding of the barn.”   At the time of the takeover, the value of the liquor was around one million dollars.  My father brushed his teeth the next morning with Champagne so, according to him, he would have a great story to tell his grandchildren.  We are blessed that he has lived to do just that.

 God bless you,
 
Kathy B.
San Antonio, Texas

Kathy, thanks for allowing me to share this touching email with our readers.  Please thank your Dad again for all of us next time you talk to him.  I’ll be sending that letter to him I promised. 

For our friends on the blog - don’t think for a minute someone doesn’t appreciate being told thank you – these may be the most under-utilized words in the American lexicon today.  Thank somebody who deserves it (and maybe even someone who doesn’t) today. 

Thanks Mr. Adams, though I suspect he’d just say “call me Bill”. 

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