I didn’t know my grandfather that well because he lived in Oregon and I’m in Massachusetts but I respected him almost more than anyone else.  He had to leave his family when he was thirteen to make money and support his family.  He went to work on the oil rigs and gave all of his profits to his family.  He went to the navy and was a mechanic that worked on the landing ships.  He started and supported a family of his own from absolutely nothing.  His courage and determination were all he needed.  I remember sitting on his lap in his old musty recliner chair enjoying warm dry days with an A&W root beer in my hand.  He always showed me the cool things in life; he gave me and my brother our own bow and arrows and showed us all of his guns.  He took us out to the football field and had contests with us over who could shoot farther, or higher, or more accurately.  Grandpa would always take us fishing and show us how to cast the line; I almost always caught more fish.  He died two years ago and left me and my brother his twin pistols which are worth more than we are.  They are silver revolvers with white handles.  All of my uncles really wanted them but we got them instead.  It may have had something to do with them being twin pistols and me and my brother being twins.  My only regret is that I wasn’t able to know and appreciate him more when he was alive.  His family was completely built on his back and he was the kind of person that made everyone feel good.