In 1941, at age 25, my paternal grandfather was a lieutenant with the Coast Artillery branch of the United States Army, stationed with his young family at Fort Kamehameha at the entrance to Pearl Harbor. On the fateful Sunday morning of December 7, he was standing in front of his bathroom mirror shaving when the Japanese attack began. "Air raid, Pearl Harbor. This is not drill." While my grandmother rushed my aunt and father (3 and 8 months old at the time) to an emergency shelter, my grandfather and his platoon set up a mobile anti-aircraft gun on a nearby tennis court. They shot down one of the first enemy planes. My heart swells with pride as I think of him and his service to our country. I'm also filled with sadness and regret that I never heard his first-hand account of his Pearl Harbor experience and that he passed away a mere two months before the 50th anniversary remembrance ceremonies.
When the Divas were given this month's Project Parade theme, I knew right away that my project would be some sort of tribute to my Grandad.
I didn't have a lot to work with, just a handful of low-resolution photo scans and some second-hand accounts. Even so, this 8x8 page will be proudly displayed in my home, not just as a reminder of my grandfather and all those who serve or have served our country, but also as a reminder to spend time with the elders among us both wisely and purposefully while we still have those opportunities.
I used two different sentiments and two of the star images in the American Hero set. The papers are from the "Old Glory" line by We R Memory Keepers and the Basic Grey Basics Manilla 6x6 pad. At the bottom right, I placed a Maya Road Kraft envelope to hold journaling and an additional photo. The Maya Road chipboard pennants are covered in designer paper, tied with twine, and adorned with accordian-fold rosettes, stamped stars, and the "u," "s," and "a" chipboard letters.
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As with all of our project parades, there are prizes!!!!
1. Play along with us and link up your new My Hero creation (posted July 12th or later) to the linky widget on the DAY ONE parade post before midnight on July 30th. One lucky stamper will win a $30.00 gift certificate to the Verve Store. Verve Stamps are not required, but we LOVE to see ‘em!
2. For another chance to win, be sure to give the Divas a little shout-out in the comments section as we parade our My Hero creations. One lucky commenter during the course of the parade (July 12 ~ July 28) will win the Verve stamp set of his or her choosing!
Can't wait to see all the entries!
