Yesterday, I said goodbye to a genuine American hero.

Lt. Colonel Frank Vavrek, US Army (retired) was in Green Cove Spring's wonderful Kindred Hospital with a debilitating illness.  I had had Frank in my thoughts all morning, and I told my wife I felt like I needed to go see him.

When I got to his hospital room, his loving wife looked up and saw me.  When she came to the door to greet me, I said, "Hi, Carol.  How's he doing today?"  Through her tears, she smiled, and said, "Tom, you can go in and tell him goodbye."

As he struggled to breath, I prayed and quietly cried at his bedside at the impending loss of a wonderful friend and thought to myself, "Here goes another American hero.  We're losing them each day."

Frank was a paratrooper in the 101st Airborne, and served his country in Vietnam and other theaters.

I will miss him. His wife and friends will miss him.  His church where he faithfully served as a lay leader will miss him.  And America has lost another hero.

But, to end this story on an absolutely marvelous note, I will share with you what his wife said was worthy of celebrating.  She told me that Frank would be leaving this earth shortly to meet his mother for the first time in his life.  She had died giving birth to him, and would be waiting joyously to greet him in heaven.

As my wife has said, dying is part of living.  Frank lived with the assurance of seeing his mother in heaven.  I'm grateful that he had that assurance.

But, selfishly, I will still miss him.  He passed away yesterday.