John Roscoe Wells was a great man and he was also my grandfather.

He was just Poppy to me and will always be remembered as the gentle man he was. He was at every significant event in my life until he passed away almost 5 years ago. I only wish my boys could have met him - he would have made an awesome great-grand dad.

He served our country for over 27 years in the Army. He served in the last few years of WWII, in the Korean War, through Vietnam and was station everywhere from Columbus, GA to France and even India.

Veterans day is an important day in the American calendar and as it came and past this year, I found myself missing Poppy. I miss his stashes of candy around his house. Those that know me, know I eat a lot of candy - Poppy can be thanked for that. I would also not have the profound appreciation for Road Runner and the entire Looney Toon's clan if it wasn't for Poppy. I remember many a Saturday mornings watching cartoons with Poppy.

Anyway, in addition to being an awesome grandpa to me, he was highly decorated in his service to our country. Upon his passing we went through the boxes of medals and awards he received from his time in the military. We found all these medals in a dark corner of his closet - things he never talked about, never wanted recognition for and I never want to forget. They represent the life of a hard working American hero.

He met my grandma (Nana) while serving in Germany and she immigrated here to the States with him after the war. I'm proud of my family's history and the service of my Grandfather. He has inspired me in my life and was such a honest and simple man. I love him. Below is a picture of him on December 9th, 1969 on Hawk Hill in Vietnam - it reminds me of M*A*S*H.