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It was a chance meeting in our doctor's
office - my husband JC (or Castwell) was
getting a blood draw and while waiting I
was visiting with a gentleman there waiting
for his wife. We exchanged business cards
and I looked at the picture on the gentleman's
card and out loud said "Wow!"
The photo on the front/main page and below this week
is of the dedication (2004) of the Eternal
Sea Memorial Lighthouse in Seabeck, Washington.
Memorial Day is a fitting time to tell the
rest of the story. This lighthouse is 26 ft.
high, has a totally functioning rotating light
and even a fog horn. It was built by USN,
Retired, Al Clayton. Al spent 31 years going
to sea, and after retiring from the Navy, he
continued serving in the Merchant Marine on
tugs and tankers until he finally really retired.
Over the next few years Al built many smaller
'lights' as they are called, but this one was
special. It is not a copy of any existing light,
it was designed and built by Al - a very special
project.
This one was built and dedicated to the memory
of Al's shipmates who didn't come home.
Eternal Sea Memorial Lighthouse.
Thank you Al Clayton, and all who served in the
US Military (and Merchant Marine) for your service
to this country - and for the reminder that while
we take our freedoms for granted - it is you and
your fellow servicemen who guard our freedoms,
and keep us from harm's way.
You know better than all of us, Freedom is
never free. ~ DLB
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post your views on the FAOL Bulletin Board!
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