Alzheimer Dad

My Dad wasn't a huge fan of Ronald Reagan, but I think he did admire that a B movie actor became the president of the United States. He was a bit bitter that the guys that got ahead in Hollywood, Reagan, Cary Grant, John Wayne, never served overseas but made major careers PLAYING at being WAR HEROS, while people like Glenn Miller died in the BIG WAR. Like most of the greatest generation, WW2 was deeply imbedded in my father's brain. Toward the end, wracked with dementia, Dad thought he was on a troop ship heading to Japan, and sometimes he was in a Japanese hotel, mistaking the Mexican attendants in El Paso for the Japanese he met during the occupation. Dad was on the troop ship with a million other guys who were on their way to invade Japan, when Truman decided instead to drop the bomb on Hiroshima and Nagisaki. The guys lives were spared, and Dad was part of the post surrender occupation, carrying a gun and organizing entertainment for the enlisted men. (WHy do they call it enlisted men..when they're drafted?) Anyway, Ronnie's going out with a bang, complete with Kennedy's riderless horse, and a 9 day run of pomp and circumstance to diflect criticism that they're getting ready to start the draft up..My son's in High School..I don't want him dying for Dick Cheney's stock portfolio..