For many families, the stories of their veterans are handed down from generation to generation. For others, there is no story... nor, anyone to hand it down to... their service however, still holds tales of courage and honor.
My Great Uncle Edward Irel Hofheins is one that left no story. He is my mother's uncle. And they called him just that, "uncle." He was a small town boy from Beaver, Utah. The son of a stone mason, the grandson of Jacob Hofheins,a captain inthe Mormon Battalion. His roots run deep in Utah's soil. But he left no posterity. Just a scattered amount of nieces and nephews who called him "Uncle.
Uncle served in World War II. Rumor has it that he never married because he fell in love with a French Girl while at war. The story goes that he never married because of his love for her. In those days, the tobacco companies distributed cigarettes to the soldiers. It is there that they gained customers for years to come. Uncle was one such. He died of Emphysema. But the trail runs dry there.
Uncle was a quiet man. Quiet but kind. A second father to my mother. My memories of him are scant at best. I remember his old home- the home of his parents. And in his last days I remember him in the spare room at my grandparents' home hooked up to some machine to help him breath. And I remember the day they buried him. That's all I remember "Uncle."
There are so many questions I have for "Uncle." Is wish I knew his stories. I wish I had been old enough to ask him questions about his service, the french woman, and what it was like growing up with my grandpa, Ora.
There are so many Veterans I pay tribute today, but today I especially pay tribute to "Uncle." I honor him for his service. Today, I say thank you "Uncle!"
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