here's a great couple of stories from High Seas Drifter, about his grandfather, which he just told me, and is a great tip of the hat to veterans, crafty, clever, and damn fun

 So on my grandfather's passed away now, but on his block way back when there was one of THOSE guys. Always got the best car, newest power tool, most awesome lawn mower etc etc etc. Guy bragged about absolutely everything! The neighbors universally despised this guy. 

For instance his mower, according to him, was the finest most powerful mower ever created, and he just couldn't wait to get out and show the block how it was done. So every Saturday morning grandpop and his friends would hustle over to this man's house and mow it before he could get up. 

The guy eventually sold the mower and hired a lawn service because he just could not stand the neighbors stealing his thunder!

 But grandpa's best story was about the neighbor guy's new SUV he had bought over the phone and how he bragged about his new sedan, and what great mileage it would get, and how cool it was, and how awesome it would be when he finally got to drive it, until the neighbors wanted to lynch him. 

But grandpa had a plan. He started sneaking out in the middle of the night when his neighbor first took delivery of the car and added a few gallons or so to this man's tank every night. Of course this guy brags to everyone in earshot that his car is getting close to 40 miles per gallon! The neighbors think he's full of it and even tell him the sales brochure on that car puts it at roughly 17 mpg in the country. No matter he insists he's got a GOOD one!

 Then after about two weeks of this grandpa starts subtracting gas every night, so that now the only thing he can talk about is that something is happening to his beloved car. He talks to the dealer and tells them he was getting 40 mpg or better but now suddenly it is down to about 6 mpg. They think he is crazy but he insists they look at it under his warranty terms. Long story short, they go over this car with a fine tooth comb and surprise, surprise they find nothing wrong. The dude is furious and gets himself banned from the dealer! 

I don't know if the story is true or how it all eventually ended, but I did see a pretty blue, brand spanking new sedan with a for sale sign on it sitting in front of the guys place when I last saw my grandfather. (Thirty plus years ago.) And for what it is worth I am pretty sure there was two hateful eyes glaring out from behind the parted drapes towards the general direction of my grandpa's porch.....

I then asked HSD to tell me a little about this incredibly fun guy, so I could post a blurb:

 His name was Wilhelm, he was a kraut born in a town in Germany that bears our last name, and when my great-grandfather brought him here in 1939 they misspelled his name. 

He was so German that when WWII broke out the east coast recruiters would not touch him. I think the Army interview went something like this...

(recruiter) "So W*****, you want to fight the Germans?"...

(Grandpa) "Ya, das ist vat I am sayink!"...

(Recruiter).."Next!" 

He ended up on a carrier in the Navy thus starting the family sailing tradition, as his father was a Prussian Cav officer and his father's fathers were knights.

 My father and my uncle both served on carriers as well, my father an F86 Crew Chief and my Uncle and Airwing fireman. I'm second generation born here and the first (and so far only one) to bring both traditions together, having joined the Army first and the Merchant Maritime afterwards.