My Great Grandfather

My grandfather, Cosmo Damiano Depinto was born on May 15, 1939 in the small town of Molfetta, Italy. He is the son of Nicoletta Depinto, his mother, who was one of three siblings. Her two sisters were named Lina and Giovanna. His mother had a full time job as a seamstress. His grandmother was responsible for making fishing nets. His grandfather, Orazio, had a similar profession in the fishing industry and and worked as a local fisherman. But unfortunately he passed away when a mine blew up while he was fishing in his boat after World War I (1914-1918).

George Washington was one of the most skilled, and maybe the best person that could have held the title of founder of the United States of American. He had the capabilities of representing his people on the Continental Congress, the intelligence to flip his misfortunes to his victories on many battles against the British and on his personal life, the generosity of believing in people that were ignored or discriminated by society and more remarkably, the bravery needed to act against the laws and even risk his own life on several occasions for the liberty of his people, among many other aspects that makes him one of the most studied historical characters and sources of inspiration.

Many children these days have godparents, those who aid the parents in a child’s upbringing and personal development. In New Orleans, Louisiana, a godparent is much more than an aid to your parents. They become your family, your aunts, your uncles, and your best friends. This is the story of how my best friend left my life so he may reign in heaven.

At the age of fourteen Bonnie Phillips, (my grandfathers daughter) had moved out with her boyfriend Michael James Coyle because she was pregnant. My grandfather tried to get her to stay home, but my mother wouldn’t. My mother then had my brother at the age of fifteen, then later at the age of eighteen was having me in 1997. I really knew my grandfather that well because of this situation. I seen him every once

In 1912 a child was born his name was Everett Babcock (1912-1974), he eventually would become my grandfather. In 1937 he would marry my grandmother, Mary McFarland (1910-1969) and they would have 3 children Everett Babcock (1937-2017) my father, Edna Mae (1940-2004), and Thomas (1944-2008). Everett worked as an auto mechanic and Mary as a beautician to support and provide for their 3 children. In 1969 Mary was diagnosed with colon cancer and die a short time later, 5 years later in 1974 my grandfather would be diagnosed with lung cancer but would suffer a heart attack and die. Since I was still a young child and didn’t live close to my paternal grandparents I don’t remember what the relationships were like. The most I remember is when we

The first 4 ½ years of his life was spent with family and distant relatives. His mom and dad would let him spent the weekend at his grandparents house. Were he would spend time there with them, and his aunt and uncle, and his three cousins. His father and his grandfather would often take him hunting and fishing. His mom and dad wanted more children, but for the first 5 years of his life he had no relatives. This is the case because their house in Fayetteville had black mold in it which caused his mom to have many miscarriages. After 4 ½ years in NC, the Air Force told his father he had to move to

In 1952 my grandfather, Albert S. Thanhauser, waited in line with the incoming class of Air Force soldiers in upstate New York as they prepared to enter the Korean War. Each quaking private presented their papers to the stone-faced officer at the front of the line, to receive their military assignment. As my grandfather approached with his documentation, something peculiar happened. “Hmm… Thanhauser,” muttered the gruff officer, “M.O.T.?” he asked quietly. A Brooklyn Jew, Al’s eyes lit up as he nodded and his papers were placed with the rest in the pile. M.O.T: Member of the Tribe, was an instantly recognizable code of camaraderie amongst Jews. Two weeks after this encounter, the night before being shipped off to Korea, Al received a memo: He was being pulled from the pack headed for Hell and instead was shipped to Japan to set up a flight school at an American base. The two years he spent on the airbase were some of the best of his life. Was this story was likely intended to instill me with a connection to Judaism? Was it just another of my Grandpa’s crazy stories? I had always focused on the result of this story - how it dramatically affected my grandfather’s life. But as I have grown older, the story has begun to resonate with me as beautiful demonstration of an act of kindness and virtue that I learn and grow from.

Fredrick Douglass was the type of person who knew what he wanted and was prepared to do anything for it. Despite the fact slaves were punished for learning how to read and write, Douglass learned in secret. Douglass was motivated, clever, and had an undeniable thirst for knowledge; it is these traits that made Douglass remind me of my father, a man who was driven by his family, used unconventional methods, and had a need to find the answers to his questions.

Based upon what I have learned after interviewing my grandmother over the 1960’s era, I came to understand what it was like for those that lived during that time. The 1960’s was a time of change. The ideas of politics, society, and overall way of life was completely transforming. The idea of revolution some would say grew as a heavy thought throughout a lot of Americans during the time especially in the younger generations. Though America was facing it conflicts in society with culture change, racism and foreign policies, the country itself was growing. The United States became a place where once ideas only mankind could only dream about were becoming real. This paving the way for America to take the roll in securing its title the greatest country on Earth.

My hero, a person who expresses kindness, intelligence, charisma, strength, selflessness, and helps my mother. My hero is my grandfather, Vern Newlin. Vern Newlin or Pawpaw to me, is a classic hard worker, whose appearance will make you feel . His eyes are sparkling emeralds in comparison to the way he dresses. His dress is a rancher who spends his time outside, always. Compared to his height, his short brunette hair is like an inchworm to his height. He always wants to either tell or hear jokes, which I really like because his humor allows me to know that he has a sense of humor. Features that he is known for are his intelligence.

My grandfather was involved in many wars during the 1900s. His experiences started in the First Indochina War in 1946 and ended with the Vietnam War in 1975. His first war experience was during the First Indochina War, in which he fought for the French army against the Viet Minh force, an anti-French alliance. He was captured in 1953, but eventually and released in 1954 when the war ended with the International Geneva Conference. He then proceeded to move to Saigon in 1955 and worked as a journalist for a newspaper company during the Vietnam War.

I love your choice of book for your primary non-fiction book. My Brother Martin: A Sister Remembers Growing Up with The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I absolutely love that book. I was subbing in a first grade classroom on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the teacher asked me to read it and discuss his life and accomplishments. It blew my mind about how much prior knowledge the students’ already had about his life and about other important figures during that time period (i.e. Rosa Park).

As I sat in my desk, my thoughts wandered as I listened to my teacher, Mrs. Flunkerflock, talk about the importance of our founding fathers. I thought, not about what my teacher was saying but the class itself. I thought how I actually hated history, but I was good at it, I was good at any subject really. I always tried to do my absolute best. To obtain any information that I possible could so that my parents could be proud of me, especially my dad. I always feared that my dad would never be proud of me like the way that his father was proud of him. I am filled with pressure since I’m technically not his son. I have always thought that he regretted me because I’m not his. That he should have made my mother abort me or give me up for adoption.

My sponsor is my Grandfather, Barney F. Stegall. His military career began in June 1969. Once he finished basic training and Tech School, he worked in Civil Engineering. He worked at a Radar site in Maine and NC. In 1973, while in North Carolina, he was accepted into the Office of Special Investigations. His first assignment as a Special Agent was with Defense Investigative Service (DIS) at Dover Air Force Base. He served the Delmarva Peninsula and conducted background investigations for security clearances.

The things my grandfather carried through life and from Holland. Opa as we called him carried a lot on his back and on his side. He carried with him the burden of coming to America from Holland, but he also carried with him his passion for art and with that his supplies and carving tools. Starting as a waiter on a ship and traveling across the Atlantic in 1950s. He carried with him the burden of leaving home and crossing this ocean that to him was so large. My grandfather was weighted by being 16 year old making this bold step to leave his family in the world and how he was going to make it in the land of opportunity. He came to America and met my grandmother and was very happy for many years. When he had my dad the weight built because he