Remembering the one time I really witnessed my father's protective instincts for his family.  I was about 12 years old, and one of my sisters had left her brand new bike in the front yard.  My mother  asked me to go out front and move the bike to the rear yard of our house at 20 Genesee St., but I could not find it any where.   We both started searching the neighborhood to see if it just got borrowed and dropped down the street.

    My mother was back near our house, and I remember being accross the street about 6 houses away.  Now this was between 10-11 pm or so at night, and it was dark.   A dark colored pick-up truck pulled to the curb near where I was looking, and a man inside said something I couldn't quite hear.   So thinking he was just looking for an address or something, I moved to about 3 foot away from the truck and told him I couldn't hear him.  Now I didn't get too close because of the parental training my parents had instilled in me.

   Well the man asked me something that I can not repeat in this story, but lets say it was something that you don't ask a 12 year old.    Well, I screemed at him something a 12 year old should not be saying, but under the circumstance, I didn't really care!

   Well the driver speed off, right past my mother, and as I got back to the house she asked what that was all about?   At first I refused to tell her, but of course, I had to eventually.   Well, my Mom called the Police department giving them the discription I provided, and called my father who was relaxing at the American Legion.

   About 10 minutes later, Dad was home picking me and Mom up and drove us to the Kentucky Fried Chicken Parking Lot.   The Late, Great Jamie Vega had stopped a truck and driver fitting the description, and Dad needed me to see if it was the man.

   I immediately told Dad that it was the truck and driver, and Dad just lost it.   Without a word, he left our car, walked up to the drivers door, flung it open grabbing the guy and ripping him out of the truck.  He dragged the guy seemingly effortlessly, and slammed him against his trucks tailgate.  In a matter of seconds, this guy was pulled from his truck, and handcuffed, and had my father in his face screeming at the guy.

As it turned out, the guy had a record for sexual abuse, and they found three hunting knives under his seat within reach.    The guy wound up pleading guilty of a felony charge and did 8 years in prison.

Another example of 'My Father, My Mentor, My Hero"

Chip