María Elvira Salazar: “I often tell this story of my father. I served during the tail end of Vietnam and my father was a World War II veteran.…”

“I often tell this story of my father. I served during the tail end of Vietnam and my father was a World War II veteran. My son served now during Iraqi Freedom. He just finished his tour last December, but I like to tell this story of my father who was a proud veteran. At the age of 82, my father was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease; and as was usual on Sunday mornings, I would go over to Mom and Dad's ranch house, and we would have breakfast with my mom and dad. We had been told by the doctors that my dad had Alzheimer's, and it was one day right around, he must have been around 84 when one Sunday morning we heard him fumbling around in his back bedroom. Shortly thereafter, he came out and in his hand he bore his World War II staff sergeant uniform, and he told us, this is the uniform that I want to be buried in. We thought at the time, well, it sounded a little bit self-serving but doctors tell you not to argue with Alzheimer's patients. So we said, sure, Dad, no problem. We will do that.”