European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 16, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Continued from Page 5 to clean his room. A something like being in the army a Bridges said a pop was like a Drill a a master sgt. Chip Millers father was an air Force Pilot who told his son he a would no to like the army a said Miller who has served 20 years As a Soldier. Miller believes his fathers biggest disappointment was that his son did no to leave the army after his initial hitch and join the air Quot Force. A but he a proud of me i can go Home now a said Miller the no in charge of the operations Section of 42nd my group in Mannheim Germany. Miller looks Back at his career As a military policemen and nearly 20,-Ycar marriage with satisfaction. He has a daughter in College and a son in High school. His son however wants to take Navy Reserve officers training when he enters College an idea that bothers Miller almost As much As his joining the army bugged his own father. A i Tell him he Isnit going to like it a Miller said. A i guess he a almost As stubborn As his is amps Gus Schuttlor dad has a hand in this school walk. When sgt. 1st class Miguel Maya thinks of his father its with the mixed feelings that come from having shared a hard life but with a sense of togetherness. Born in Columbia Maya said he spent every Day of his life with his father until he was 9, when he finally entered school. His father Enrique a was a Rich Man a powerful Man a until he was about 45, and lost his trucking business. That forced his father to become a truck Driver in order to support the the worked hard All his life a Maya said. When his father had to change jobs he left their Hometown of Piedra Ancha for the larger City of Cali leaving son Miguel behind. A i missed him so much i eat a Maya said but 90 Days later his father had earned enough Money to Send for his son and the two again spent every Day together. At age 9, Miguel finally had the Opportunity to go to school. A my father was a Good Man even though he did no to do much for my education a Maya said. A a that a what i want to do for my kids. Education is primary.�?�. Maya emigrated to the United states and joined the army and is now stationed in Munich with the 18th military intelligence in. A i have something inside for him a Maya said of his father. A a he a a Good Man. I love my father contributing to this report Start writers Luke Britt j. King Cruger stove Taylor Ertie Bathen Crystal Laureano and Randy a Ball playing Chip off the Young blocks Rob Staggenborg. Staff writer it was not a Good Day to be a dad the question was innocent enough a dad a my 6-year-old son asked a what is sex a. A. His Mother was nowhere to be found so i foolishly attempted to explain what Little i knew on the subject. Then he uttered a few phrases that would have made a bartender Blush. A where did you learn that a i said As my eyes widened to the approximate size of Alaska and my face turned an interesting color kind of a Cross Between red Clay Virgin Snow and pea green.1 have asked. His friends told him More about sex than ill Ever know he explained in his Best 6-year-qld Charm. Sending him to his room was too easy a punishment. He does no to seem to mind being sent to his room because he can still find things to do. Such As cannonballs from the bed onto his younger brother a head. Or terrorizing the cats with his Remote controlled car. Or singing the chorus to inc inc baby so Many times ill beg him to go outside and pester his friends with the song. I Felt As if i had lost my dad touch. I had been bested by my 6-year-old. Perhaps my knowledge on the subject was indicative of a 6-year-old. I let it go but told him to watch what the other kids say and to dismiss their theories. 1 it was time to spend Quality time with both my boys. A a a a a a a a a. Quality time is Tough because my definition of Quality time in no Way coincides with 6-year-old Erik a idea of Quality time. To him Quality time Means swindling a Buck out of me and going to the four seasons to spend it on a toy hell break five minutes later. My idea is to toss the baseball around an idea that did no to sit Well with my Young charge. I tried that a few months ago and it failed. Erik was convinced i was throwing fastballs up and in and i was convinced he Wasny to ready for the major leagues any time soon. A a they re too fast a Erik pleaded. Of course my wife took his Side so rather than face a night of being chided for throwing bean balls at my kid i opted to toss underhanded. He still did no to catch it but he tried and i appreciated the Effort. Living in Germany is Tough on the father son relationship. There Are no baseball games to travel to and mom gets upset if we stay up until 3 . To watch the cardinals dodgers game. That Little concept called a a it a a school night gets in the Way. A there have been other brushes with death by fatherhood. Like the time i pleaded with my son not to Tell mom i ate the last handful of potato chips. He promised he . Rule no. 1 never believe a 6-year-old. I think Erik got a charge out of watching me talk my Way out of the potato Chip incident. Jimmy my 3-year-old, who occasionally forgets he is a human being and eats with his toes in a serious was equally charged because he had his eyes and toes on that last handful of chips. A Friend once told me i have the Best thing a Man could have a family. He told me this on a Day when i watched with abject horror As my prize Beer Stein was being used to hold extra chocolaty chocolate milk. In be had Good times As a dad so i done to want to come off As being ungrateful. We be seen Many Good times together and deep Down inside i think they really like me and not just because they have to. I remember my youth when i thought my father was the craziest idiot Ever to walk the face of the Earth. Now that in a a dad i can relate to the last week i was packing for a trip to cover a football game in England and i Wasny to in the Best of moods. Erik and Jimmy waddled into the bedroom and they weren to bashing each other on the Heads or marvelling at the different body noises they could make by pinching their lips and blowing outward. A that was enough to make me proud when Erik said something that was a bit out of character. A dad a he said sitting Down right on top of my neatly pressed shirt a when you re gone in a Gonna miss ya.�?�. I smiled. He continued. A when you re gone in a Gonna dream about you every night a cause you re my i i hugged both my boys and one thing raced through my head. The sex talk the fastball the chorus to inc ice baby were forgotten for a to. Ment. On that Day while i was packing for another Stop on the Rob Staggenborg sports writing tour �?T91,1 was humbled by my 6-year-old. 1 fathers Day came Early this year
