When I was a young kid, my heroes were Mickey Mantle, Ted Williams, Willie Mays. When I became a teenager, my heroes were Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton. As a young man, my heroes were Ronald Reagan, Ben Hogan, Sam Snead and Frank Sinatra. Funny though, through it all, I never really realized who my real hero was. My real hero fought in the Korean War. He was a Marine through and through. After he retired from the military, he was an investigator for the US government Department of Labor. He helped me understand what it was to be a real man. The greatest gift this Man ever gave me was to tell me that a real man is not afraid to show his emotions – that a real Man is not afraid to cry. He taught me when to be hard and when to be soft. He taught me when to fight and when to forgive. He taught me when to be strong and when to be gentle. He was a shining example of what a husband and a father should be. All that time I did not see the Man, the Hero ….I only saw my Dad.

Those that know me, call me a Marine (although I was in the USAF), an American Samurai (which has been a description for a US Marine). Well …. The truth be known ….the man I am today is the result of the US Marine that raised me. The Martial Artist I am today is also because of this Man ….this man ….my Hero, my Dad.

On September 19, 2007, my Dad, my Hero died.