I served in the US Navy for 18 long years. I see families rejoice, happy greetings on the pier, I didn't get to enjoy that very often serving on 4 different ships and 5 deployments. But that would resonate the most in 1997, aboard the USS JFK (CV-67), returning to Mayport, Fl after my last deployment. I was a rough one, let me tell ya. My wife asked me for a divorce after receiving a 'Dear John' phone call in Spain. We pulled in on a late October day. Once again families rejoicing, but no one for me, or so I thought. I step off the quarter deck and and head towards my car in the parking lot. Then I hear a familiar, but to me - not so friendly voice, call my name in a foreign accent. I cringe, turn and to my delight and surprise was my Daughter, standing in front of her Mother. She's trying to smile, as I was, but we were both in shock and confused on what to do next. See, the last time I saw my Daughter, was when she was 3 and her mother took me in for child support. She was there all dolled up, in a pretty dress, bow in her hair. Now, on the pier, my Daughter was now 11 years old. Both strangers to one another, but thank God she broke the ice with a warm hug. It would be the beginning of many more years of in the making, finally getting to know each other well enough for her to call me... Dad! Recently I took a trip back to JAX, Fl for her 28th B-day. She has her own house and two cats! I'm very proud of her and we get along very well now...

Charles R. Fatur
Los Angeles, CA