Well, it's been a tough day. It's a day of mixed blessings.
See, I left work around 2pm to go have lunch with my family and my Grandpa. We had a great time at a local japanese steakhouse. After lunch we all went back to my in-laws to have desert. Grandpa headed to the downstairs bathroom while someone else headed to the upstairs one. We didn't notice, but after about ten minutes we hadn't seen grandpa and so we decided to check on him.
He left this earth to be with his Lord and Savior at around 4pm today. He was 87 years old.
He is survived by three of his five children.
He was a World War II veteren. He was a ball turret gunner on a B-17 flying over Germany. He was shot down twice. The first time he spent three weeks behind enemy lines until he snuck out of Germany. The second time he was captured and spent two years in a German concentration camp. As the war was ending the Germans marched 20,000 prisoners around what was left of Germany, shooting 1000 prisoners a day and forcing the rest to march on. When he was liberated there were only 2000 prisoners left. The war had officially ended 4 days earlier. He rarely talked about it, but when he did, you were literally rivited to the seat.
When he returned stateside he became a handyman and raised a large family. His wife, whom he married after knowing only three days and married right before he was shipped off to war, went to be with the Lord almost 20 years ago.
We all rejoice in the fact that he knew the Lord as his personal Savior and is now with Him, but we are deeply saddened by the fact that he will be greatly missed here on earth.
William Earl Ogle was one of the finest men I've ever had the pleasure of knowing.
Here's to you Grandpa................
Sorry for being such a downer, but I just had to get this off of my chest.