Brad and Derek

These past weeks have been difficult.  Nonnie’s father, Reese Bradburn, died at 12:01AM on August 7th, while Nonnie and I were driving home from Albuquerque in a rental truck.  She flew to San Antonio from Boise, to be with the rest of her family.

Brad, the name his friends used, had an interesting life.  Raised in a coal mining town in Pennsylvania he joined the marines as a young man and was sent to China waiting to participate in the planned invasion of Japan.  The atomic bomb ended the war and probably saved his life; he visited Nagasaki shortly after the surrender.

After the surrender of Japan he left the marines while he was still in China and walked to the other side of the base and joined Civil Air Transport (CAT), and started his civilian career in Asia.  He married a Russian woman who was raised in China and they eventually had four daughters. 

After Civil Air Transport closed Brad went to work for Air America, which, like CAT, was owned by the CIA.  He was station manager in Hong Kong, which was where Nonnie went to grade school and high school.  After the Viet Nam war ended he and his family moved to the Washington DC area, then he moved to Oklahoma. 

Brad did great things with his life - a true member of the greatest generation.

August 21st was the one year anniversary of Derek’s death - the next day was his birthday - he would have been 35.  On his birthday we drank champagne at his grave site, released 35 helium balloons, and ate birthday cake. 

If time heals all things it hasn’t started yet; I miss him more than ever.