Steve Cox · @RealSteveCox
16th Jun 2013 from Osfoora
On%20Father%27s%20Day%2C%20here%27s%20probably%20the%20best%20photo%20I%20have%20ever%20taken%2C%20and%20maybe%20ever%20will.%0A%0AIt%27s%20my%20dad%2C%20Dennis%20Cox%20when%20he%20went%20with%20me%20to%20the%20Budds%20Creek%20MX%20National%20a%20few%20years%20ago.%0A%0AThis%20was%20his%20first%20visit%20to%20%22The%20Wall%22.%20He%20served%20three%20tours%20of%20duty%20in%20Vietnam%2C%20serving%20in%20the%20United%20States%20Marine%20Corps%20%28or%20as%20he%20likes%20to%20joke%2C%20%22Department%20of%20the%20Navy%2C%20Men%27s%20Division%22%29.%0A%0AIn%20this%20photo%2C%20he%20had%20just%20found%20a%20friend%20on%20The%20Wall%20and%20put%20a%20medal%20down%20at%20the%20base%20of%20the%20wall%20for%20him.%0A%0ANotice%20the%20children%20and%20families%20in%20the%20reflection%20of%20the%20wall%20as%20they%20scratch%20reliefs%20of%20names%20onto%20pieces%20of%20paper%2C%20and%20notice%20the%20Washington%20Monument%2C%20too.%0A%0AAs%20long%20as%20I%20can%20remember%2C%20he%27s%20kept%20his%20hair%20high%20and%20tight%2C%20kept%20his%20shoes%20clean%2C%20and%20has%20displayed%20his%20patriotism%20like%20he%20is%20in%20this%20photo%20%28look%20closely%20at%20his%20shirt%29.%20He%20didn%27t%20do%20it%20just%20for%20visiting%20The%20Wall.%0A%0AWith%20all%20his%20faults%20and%20frailties%2C%20my%20dad%20has%20always%20been%20my%20hero%2C%20and%20he%20continues%20to%20be%20as%20he%20fights%20his%20fifth%20bout%20with%20cancer%20right%20now.%20He%20has%20fought%20and%20beaten%20Mantle%20Cell%20Lymphoma%20%28likely%20from%20Agent%20Orange%20exposure%20in%20Vietnam%29%20three%20times%20now%2C%20and%20fought%20and%20beat%20Prostate%20Cancer%20between%20battles%20against%20Mantle%20Cell.%20Now%2C%20he%27s%20fighting%20a%20cancer%20they%20found%20in%20his%20salivary%20gland.%20And%20ultimately%2C%20he%27s%20fighting%20as%20hard%20as%20he%20is%20so%20that%20my%20family%20won%27t%20have%20to%20go%20through%20losing%20him%20until%20we%20have%20absolutely%20no%20choice.%0A%0AThanks%2C%20dad%2C%20for%20helping%20to%20make%20me%20the%20man%20I%20am.%20For%20allowing%20me%20to%20be%20an%20individual%2C%20to%20be%20a%20dick%20when%20I%20feel%20it%27s%20appropriate%2C%20and%20ultimately%20allowing%20me%20to%20be%20my%20own%20man%2C%20comfortable%20with%20the%20fact%20that%20not%20everyone%20will%20like%20me%2C%20and%20beholden%20only%20to%20my%20self%20and%20my%20own%20principles%2C%20beliefs%20and%20ideals.%0A%0AHappy%20Father%27s%20Day%2C%20dad.%20Keep%20up%20the%20fight.%20http%3A%2F%2Fyfrog.com%2Fodxhbzmj