I always wondered about the wavy haired, handsome man
...standing there in the family photograph taken in 1941...
after the tragic death of their father.
All 11 of the children were there with their mother.
I had memories of all my grandfather's siblings but Uncle Mike.
When I was a small child, he was the one everyone in the family remembered on Memorial Day.
He was the practical joker in the family...
never cruel jokes...
never did anyone harm...
would cry with you if he hurt your feelings.
Loved to hunt fowl...was an excellent shot.
Loved to dance...to have a good time
...loved to celebrate with family and friends.
Loved to sing and play his ukelele.

Always wondering until I saw a post on a genealogy mailing list I frequented.
A woman desperately trying to find the birthdate of her aunt's old boyfriend...
Michael Dougherty, the son of Charles W. Dougherty and Nora Bruce.
I sat in front of my computer screen in total shock...
someone outside of the family knew Uncle Mike!
I replied and so began my friendship with JoAnn...
a journey we would make together discovering what really happened to Mike
...besides the explanation...
"...he never made it..."
"He never made the damn beach at Tarawa."