This is my father in 1947. He was 36 years old, having just left the Navy in tremendous physical shape. His favorite story was the time his brother was showing him off at Western Electric. There was apparently a competition to see who could lift a heavy, wire spool. None of the other men on the floor could budge it. His brother Joe brought a group of line staff over to watch my father easily lift it over his head. My father attributed his good health to his time in the Navy, which never really made sense to me given he was only in the Navy for three years, but why quibble. I can tell you that even on his death bed, the nurses were in love with him. They marveled at what they saw as a 50 year old body on a 98 year old man. He was still doing standing push ups three years ago. He never used a wheel chair until this year, and I although I may be biased, there was always the essence of a much younger man in his 98 year old face.
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