OP-ED: Veteran’s Day: Reflections of an American Patriot

As Veteran’s Day approached a flood of warm and vivid memories descended upon me like the leaves of an autumn tree. Many thoughts floated around in my head but mostly I thought about the countless days sitting on my grandfather’s front porch and listening to stories about him and his friends back when men fought for liberty and women knew their role. He has been gone now for almost a year and this Veteran’s Day means a lot to me because it was his favorite holiday.

It was always a time when he could honor fallen friends and pay tribute to his country and profession. You see, my grandfather was Dr. Lloyd Goldfarb, a veteran from humble beginnings. He built his practice from almost nothing and went on to be one of New York City’s most influential vets. At one point he was the personal vet to Judy Garland’s six cats. He saw a lot of death though in his forty years of practice and found great solace in the national holiday dedicated to veterans.

I will never forget one story he used to tell me about his friend Caleb, a Clydesdale. Caleb was in the throws of deep depression because his lover Eduardo, an Argentine racing horse, was cheating on him with a pony named Bumble Bee. He was so distraught that he committed suicide by overdosing on horse tranquilizers. My grandfather was the first on the scene and was overcome with emotion. He draped Caleb in an American flag, tied his hind legs to a rope attached to his old red pick-up truck, and dragged him through town. He loved animals and America so much.

This Veteran’s Day I paid special tribute to the man I love and America too by dragging a Clydesdale draped in an American flag behind that same old pickup truck that he left to me. From one patriot to another…Happy Veteran’s Day Grandpa!