Reflections of an Educator

My Dad Ever since I was a kid, I looked up to my Dad.  A Vietnam War and Marine Corps Veteran, he enlisted in the USMC after graduating from high school.  Fearless and eighteen, he headed to Paris Island for training and ultimately for multiple tours of duty in Vietnam.  Though I don't know many of the details (he rarely speaks about it), I know he was brave and served his nation proudly.  He earned a purple heart, and even as I write about it, I get teary.  I will probably never know why exactly, but a combination of pride and honor comes over me when I think of the moves my Dad needed to make as a young man. My Dad is a driven man.  He is dyslexic, so school was always tough for him.  I am even more in awe that he has been a successful businessman through intelligence, drive, dedication and a work ethic like no one I've ever seen.  He encouraged me and pushed me to always be my best, and when I slacked off, I would imagine my Dad - waist deep in a swamp in Vietnam - and