Uncle Claude

Below are two World War ll-era photographs of my Uncle Claude Eldredge who passed away on Monday, April 12 at the age of 84. He was married to my dad's younger sister, Molly. (Random Tangent: Molly's "real" name is Stella Marlene which has to be one of my all-time favorite names.) I've known Uncle Claude all my life, but it's amazing how much I didn't really "know" him. I was unaware of so many details of his life until I read his obituary and heard the eulogies at his funeral today. I was interested to learn that he completed advanced flight training with the U.S. Army Air Corps and was hoping to fly combat in WWll, but the war ended before he could be deployed. I was under the impression that my dad was the only pilot in the family. My dad, his siblings, and their spouses are in their 80s and late 70s so I guess Uncle Claude's passing is part the inevitable trend that started with my mother's death last year. I hate to see them go. It's definitely the end of an era.