My father, Frank Bridges, was an honorable man. He was honest and a hard worker. He instilled in me his values, and helped me to strive to become an honest, hard working man. He was generous, conservative, and a patriot to his country. He died a disabled veteran.
Every morning, I drink coffee in a cup from “The American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial”, on which it also says “Their Courage Endures” and “Freedom is Not Free.”
Yes, my father was courageous. He survived his last 24 years in a wheelchair, yet he never complained. He prayed every day of those last 24 years to be granted the miracle that would enable him to walk again. He died with severe neuropathic pain. An overdose (not self-administered) of fentanyl put him in the hospital with a heart attack. He soon lost his voice for the rest of his life. He did not leave the hospital alive. One nurse, in particular, noted how he was always smiling. She felt his kindness, his strength, and his true nature.
Sitting in the hospital with him, there was a moment that displayed his suffering, his faith, and his humanity. He had been asleep, when, as if slowly awakening from a dream, he lifted his arms to heaven and seemed to be asking the Lord to take him and to finally stop his pain. I alone witnessed this. A few days later, the Lord answered and gave my father his final freedom.
Rest in peace, Dad. I love you.
In Search of Truth 