"My Favorite Picture of my Father"
by Joseph Vincent Abbate, Jr.
           The picture that you see to the right,
    blurred though it may be and faded over
    time, is the favorite picture that I have of
    my father. Though I am not sure of the
    location (or even the name of the dog in
    the picture), I do know that it was snapped
    some time near the end of World War II. But
    even that does not explain why it is so
    special to me.
            The reason I cherish this picture is
    because it shows what kind of man my
    father was.  It is a rare and special glimpse
    into his heart, something that he did not
    easily share with others.
           Over the course of our years together, my father taught me
    many things, all out of love: love of the land, love of God's
    creatures, love of our country, and a deep and powerful love of
    family.  Somewhere around 1960, he showed me another love as
    he drove me to Yankee Stadium where I first saw my "second
    best hero," Mickey Mantle.  I shall always be grateful to my father
    for all of these loves and all of the joy they have brought to my
    life.
           But why this picture?  Why is it so special
    among the many that I have of him? That's easy to
    explain.
            You see, many people saw my father as being
    "cold" or "gruff."  He grew up in a time when men
    did not show their feelings, let alone feelings of
    love. Oh, his heart was large, all right - large and
     filled with love, but sometimes you had to dig
    deep to see it.
           Those of us who knew him well will understand what I am saying, for we
    had the opportunity to see his love over the years.  And to those who did not
    know him well, I offer the above photo - where my father has his guard down
    and is playing with a puppy.  This is his heart on display, and I am proud to
    show it to the world.
            This one's for you, Dad.  I miss you more than words can ever express.

            ~ Joe, Jr.

c   ross

c   ross
Joseph V. Abbate, Sr. (July 26, 1926 - February 4, 2006)
Electronic Check Processing
    My father loved this country dearly.  As a result, he
    quit high school, lied about his age, and enlisted
    in the Army Air Corps where he worked in
    electronics, repairing the radios the radios of our
    military aircrafts. He served in France, Italy, and
    Germany toward the end of the war after the bulk
    of the fighting had ended.
            Several years after returning home, he
    married my mother and began his quest toward
    the American Dream, something that he helped to
    defend along with the other brave people of his
    era.
            Shortly thereafter, I showed up, and he began
    his new role in life, that of my teacher.



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