In celebration of Father's Day 2006, I thought I would blog a tribute I wrote to my Dad back in 1995. Reading it aloud to him, my family, church friends and his colleagues was the highlight of my night at his retirement ceremony from the Army. I stumbled through it with many tearful stops. It was the first time I had ever expressed in word and in public just how much my Dad meant to me. He really does embody the term "Man of God," "Patriot," and "Father." May I continue to remember these heartfelt words that express my admiration of the man I call Dad. May I continually strive to be all the man he was to me to my children, my country and my God.
All the Man You Are to Me
Dad, sometime, somehow, somewhere I will find the answer to a question that perplexes me. Whether it be in a subconscious dream or in a conscious thought. "How can a man be a man three times over?"
You first are the man that conceived me and reared me, you are my father. Second, you are the man anointed by God to be the chief priest of your family, you are my pastor. Third, you are the man that inspired me with unspeakable patriotism, you are my hero. You are my father, you are my pastor, you are my hero.
How can you be the man that is the father to me? You sacrifice your blood, your sweat and your tears to provide us with both the necessities, as well as the comforts. You diligently protect us from all forms of threat however perceived or unperceived. You bathe us in your love, the love that never would have thought twice to call on your life to give itself up for those of your family. Father, as your only son, I am the inheritor of a priceless fortune, I am the bearer of your name. The awesome burden falls on me to maintain its immaculate integrity, to define its inherent meaning, and to pass it on to another generation in the condition I inherited it. I still don't know how you can be the man that is the father to me...
How can you be the man that is the pastor to me? You preach the word of God in spoken word. You preach the same with silent action. You are the spiritual warrior always alert, always clad in armor. But, you are also the spiritual servant, always submissive to God, always humble. Whenever I need imagine the likeness of Christ I need not look further than to my own father. I still don't know how you can be the man that is the pastor to me...
How can you be the man that is the hero to me? I need not look to fictional characters when I have you in my sight, for heroism runs through your body truer than blood itself. Duty to you is not an obligation, but a passion. Honor to you is not a commendation, but a lifestyle. Country to you is not an artificial creation, but your own flesh and blood. I still don't know how you can be all the man that is a hero to me...
I give up. I guess I will never know how you can be a man three times over. The question is Dad, how can I be all the man you are to me?
About my Dad
Some of the more telling things about my dad as a father are the simple things. I never heard a swear word come out of his mouth. I never saw him lose his temper. In spite of the pressures of work and ministry, he was always there cheering for me and my sister. He believed in us and loved us and was not afraid to tell us so. He still kisses us in public.
As a minister he not only fathered me and my sister as a chief priest, he also conceived and pastored several ministries. He has fed countless sheep over the years, building disciples who have gone on to build even more disciples. To date, he has pastored five Assemblies of God churches, the last of which he pioneered two years ago at the young age of sixty-nine! He is still pastoring and personally doing construction "ministry" on the church property, my parent's home, and my grandmother's house (did I mention he is a certified carpenter?). The Lord has visited my father in dreams, visions, and angelic visitations. One time the Lord's visitation was so powerful that he was unable to speak in English for several days and his face became visibly radiant!
His mentoring has influenced almost every area of my life including my career in the military. He molded me into the serviceman and officer I am today. Not a day goes by that I don't remember some nugget of wisdom and some leadership truth that he passed on to me. He really did know what it was to be a true soldier, a patriot, and most importantly a servant leader. He loved his troops and his troops loved him. I'll never forget junior officers and even a brigadier general walking up to me years after his retirement and telling me just how much Sergeant First Class Morales meant to them. His service to country began when he was a young boy during World War II. He delivered the letters of American GIs who waved at him from their troop trains. He would soon serve in the Civil Air Patrol during the last years of that war. When the Korean War broke out and his brother Ben went missing in action, he enlisted at the age of sixteen-and-a-half, thanks to his mother's written consent. All told, he served three separate stints in the military, one in the Army, one in the Air Force, and then another one in the Army twenty years after his first, for a combined service of over thirty years. He served during the Korean War, Vietnam War and the first Gulf War. I'll never forget the naval officer candidates in my class saluting him in his Army dress blues thinking he was some ten-striped Admiral. The other lasting memory is caught on film, my first salute from my father.
Many stories could be written about his exploits as a minister and a soldier. One story is about why he remained a Sergeant First Class so many years. Part of that story involves his passing up two opportunities to become an officer and the other involves him sticking out his neck for his men. When I say he was a hero I meant it. Growing up I saw him preaching at the pulpit on Sundays, sometimes four services in one day. Throughout the week, I saw him in camouflage lifting up his troops with just his smile. I can still remember the scent of Army fatigues (his uniform) that I'd smell when he would pick me up to hug me. Thank God I took notes from his actions at church, at his workplace (when he would treat me to visits), and most importantly at home. I pray I pass the test. Happy Father's Day SFC Daniel R. Morales Sr. (USA Ret), Rev. Daniel R. Morales Sr., and my personal favorite---Dad!
HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO FATHERS EVERYWHERE!
