I know my grandpa's arms are always welcoming. His wise advice keeps me anchored in the windiest of days. My grandpa is a male figure who is strong enough to show emotion while ensuring the family is checked and his obligations are taken care of. 

My grandpa's past, coming from an impoverished family of 6, has always been a fight, whether he’s fighting for attention from his parents, food, or fist fighting in the streets of South Milwaukee. My grandpa came from such humble beginnings, which made him so resourceful, never giving up or giving in. 

My grandpa earned a full scholarship to UW-Madison and was heavily recruited by the UW wrestling coach, Steve Bach. He went on to easily win two state championships in the 127-weight division. 

While at college, he met my grandma, a Nursing student training at the local hospital. Almost done with school, they are both ready to move on, get married, and start a life. Now recently married to my grandma, he gets the horrifying call any young man could get: he got drafted into the Vietnam War. With him now recently married, his first kid on the way, and then moving into their first home together, my grandpa was appalled. 

Having to Placate the US Government, he joined the National Guard, knowing he would have to give up his dream of being a school teacher in Southern Milwaukee, teaching kids the importance of school and making sure school is always a safe place for them my grandpa was able to be there for his family and make sure his obligations were taken care of. That’s a Hero. 

My Grandpa’s present, a 78-year-old man who gets up every morning at the crack of dawn and eats eggs, bacon, and toast every morning without fail. Although he’s been retired for roughly 13 years, his routine has not changed. He is always finding something to do to stay busy, whether working on old engines or just keeping up with yard work, and you will never catch him sitting still. So next time he beguiles me into helping him fix something, I won’t complain because he would never complain. So, I’m not going to wait for him to ask me for help because every time he helped me, it was on his offer, not me asking; that's something to learn from. That's a Hero.   

My grandpa's most well-known trait is that “he can fix anything… including a human body”(he was a medic in the National Guard). My grandpa never was able to buy new things when something broke; he either fixed it or went without it. This is the greatest lesson I could have ever learned from my grandpa to realize that I need to fix things in my life instead of just throwing them away this goes for relationships and physical things. 

I will always remember my grandpa as someone who took the answer. It’s impossible as a challenge, and he would never take no for an answer. I will always remember my grandpa as a man who was strong enough to cry. I will always remember my grandpa as a man I will always strive to be. When I'm older, I want to be my grandpa, the Rock of the family. A Hero.