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How do you picture your Dad when you remember him?

Apr 26, 2022, 9:34 AM

WARNING: This is another "nostalgia" post, for those who may not be into such stuff.

My father was an amazing man. And, of his 3 sons, I am always told I am, by far, the most like him. This was not always a good thing. There were times in my life where, as my older sisters would say, we "butted heads like two stubborn mountain goats!" No doubt, the truth. But, like most of us, as I got older, my Dad suddenly gained a FOUNTAIN of knowledge. Butt, this is about how I remember him whenever I "wax nostalgic".

For sure, one of the ways I picture my Dad is aboard one of his two Bulldozers. Both were old machines, both International brand. First, a TD-14A. Vintage no newer than 1955, because that's when they stopped producing that model. This particular one held significance for me because, like many things on our farm, at one point or another, my Dad and I worked on it together.

My Dad flat out LOVED going to "auction sales", which were particularly prevalent when I was in my teen years. A lot of farmers were either dying off, or getting out of farming, there were literally more than one sale to choose from within a couple hundred miles on any given Saturday. One of my Dad's "steals" from some sale somewhere, before I was even old enough to turn a wrench, was a "spare" 4 cylinder diesel engine for a TD-14A bulldozer. It sat in the back of our shop, taking up space for about 10 years. It was painted a sloppy gray, and we had no idea if it was any good or not.

Well, as the years went on, the engine in the TD-14A was about to give up the ghost. These were of the "crank on gas, trip to diesel" type. When the bulldozer engine oil pressure finally dropped to just about nil, and the crankshaft pulley was wobbling so bad from wear that you could barely keep a belt on it, Dad decided it was time to do an engine swap. Or rebuild, as required. So, we finally took the oil pan off the "spare" engine that had been sitting on the shop floor all those years. Imagine our shock and amazement when it was revealed that it was literally brand new inside. I'm talking metal parts still dipped in "cosmoline" new. It must have been some sort of military surplus engine of some sort. Did I mention that Dad had only paid $100 for this engine from the auction sale all those years ago?

So, the bulldozer was brought inside the shop, and over the course of a couple of weeks, we did the engine swap, and rebuilt the transmission, AND "steering clutches", which all needed attention. When it was all put back together, and we "lit it off" for the first time, it purred like a giant sewing machine. The next time my Dad took the dozer out to do some land clearing, I don't think I ever saw him smile more. It was truly a grown-up case of "boys and their toys".

So, after this long winded post, that is one of the ways I always think of my Dad. Sitting on that dozer, hitting the "trip to diesel" handle, and smiling at the sudden "BRRAAAAPP!" of power the straight exhaust made. (You may have guessed by now, my Dad was not a big fan of MUFFLERS.) He continued to do work with that thing all the way up to the age of ~80, about two years before he died. The only reason he stopped, is what we all think was some kind of ministroke, after which, he rarely left the house. I don't know if some equivalent of mechanical things exists in Heaven. But, if they do, that dozer is with my Dad now, and they are BOTH smiling.

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Two images always come to mind when I recall my Pop.

1.Pop was a Colonel in the Army in the early 60s and his last duty station was in Turkey. Weekday mornings a Turkish military car or jeep showed up and parked in front of our house in Ankara to drive Pop to work. The Turkish soldier driving the jeep always parked, got out,then stood at parade rest on the passenger side of the vehicle waiting for my Dad.

The image I have is Pop in his dress greens striding down the walk carrying a brief case, returning the driver's salute and getting into the vehicle. The driver shut the door and scurried around,got in and drove off taking Pop to his office downtown.

2. Pop loved model trains. EVERY year it seemed for Christmas one of us four boys got a new train set, or a new engine or cars or something to add to our trains.

In the second image Pop is lying on the floor on his side tinkering with the trains or the layout or maybe just driving a train around the layout as a couple of us helped him play with our trains. (I was pretty old before I came to understand he gave us all the things he wanted but did not get as a boy and he loved the trains, the new ball glove, the bikes and stuff at least as much or more than we did.)

I remember Pop as all serious business when in uniform or working around the house, but playing like a kid with toys, playing catch, hiking, cooking over an open fire on camping trips and just really having fun with us, or with the scout troop, or a ball team more or less like a big kid.

Pop has been dead 50+ years but he is alive and well in my head.

How do you picture your Dad when you remember him?

beating my #### in front of the whole neighborhood

You poor thing. I know you are too warped by that experience

I may have occasionally gotten my hind-end whooped...

Re: I may have occasionally gotten my hind-end whooped...

Hopping trains in the dark was unbelievably stupid!!!

gotta thank mama for the cookin, Daddy for the whoopin

I was about to say...

One of the things I always thank my parents for is that

shooting christmas lightbulbs out in the neighborhood

I remember my Dad telling me I shouldn't shoot birds, or

Re: How do you picture your Dad when you remember him?

Re: How do you picture your Dad when you remember him?

Re: How do you picture your Dad when you remember him?

Re: How do you picture your Dad when you remember him?

Re: How do you picture your Dad when you remember him?

reminds me of a meme - "You can't insult me. I held the

sitting on our bass boat.***

Re: How do you picture your Dad when you remember him?

Re: How do you picture your Dad when you remember him?

I picture him leaving when I was about 8 after cheating on

Sorry to hear that. An all too familiar story these days, it

Re: I picture him leaving when I was about 8 after cheating on

sitting in the boat at murrels inlet on a bright sunny

Re: How do you picture your Dad when you remember him?

Great story, Saddis56!

Re: How do you picture your Dad when you remember him?

My Dad did not dispense praise lightly at all. I can still

That's exactly three times more than I got.

This is my wife’s parents. Blows my mind. How are you with

Yes I do. Very much so.

Re: How do you picture your Dad when you remember him?

Pitching to all the neighborhood kids in our backyard after

Dad truly was my best friend . . .

Freakin bulldozers man....

There was the time I spilled paint in the garage.

My Dad was an Army Commanding Officer during the

Re: How do you picture your Dad when you remember him?

I know exactly what you mean. My Dad had some kind of

Try to Guess My Dad's Name...

Full Dress Blues-Standing tall-

Re: How do you picture your Dad when you remember him?

Re: How do you picture your Dad when you remember him?

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