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Stephen William Frank
West Point, 1998
Be Thou At Peace
Posted by Bill on January 8, 2006:
?I will go to him But he will not return to me.? - 2 Sa. 12:23 Oh Stephen my son, my son my only son. How I mourn for you ? for what was and for what might have been. You have passed into glory and have entered the rest: yet we are still here, we miss you and the pain does not diminish. A father could have had no better son. You always honored your mother and me. You loved us, your sisters, your wife and your son.
Oh how we rejoiced at your birth for we almost lost you then. We have had a bonus of 29 years. You brought such great joy into our lives. We were always so proud of you ? not just your achievements, but your character.
You understood integrity, discipline and honor. You devoted your life to serving your God, your country and your family. You did not pursue wealth but chose a higher calling.
I am sorry that you will not get to raise your son, to encourage him when he needs it, to teach him the way he should go, to share your life with him, to celebrate his successes and comfort him in his failures. He would have brought you much joy as you did to me.
I am thankful that we got to share the West Point experience with you and for the great friends you had there. I am thankful that we got to visit you while you were stationed in Alaska and for the Great Alaska Fishing Trip.
I am thankful for so many things: the camping trips we took to Maine, New Hampshire, Mammoth Cave, Sleeping Bear Dunes, and the Upper Peninsula; the trip we made to Washington D. C. on your 13th birthday where we visited every memorial and monument in the city; our times in Disney World; the mountain climbing trips you made to the Rocky Mountains; the long boring drives to Iowa; and the precious everyday time we spent together as a family.
I remember the excitement you had in building your backyard fort, how you wouldn?t let your sisters in it, and how they snuck in when you weren?t around. I loved your enthusiasm for big Christmas trees, your love of the outdoors, your passion for reading, your interest in almost everything, and how you loved chocolate covered cherries.
You chose heroes like Audey Murphy and Theodore Roosevelt, great men who served a great country. You were ?The Man in the Arena?.
My mind cannot articulate what my heart feels ? words are inadequate. It has been one of the greatest privileges of my life to have known you Stephen.
Thanks for Everything.
Love, Dad
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