In Loving Memory of my Father:
Thomas McQuillan
August 27, 1919 - September 17, 2004
***********************
Everyone has a hero.
Mine is my Dad.
This picture was taken in 1945
in
Scotland while
my Dad was on leave from the U.S.
Army during WW II.
He was 26 years old at the time
he was
photographed, and was visiting
his father's
hometown in Scotland.
He is dressed in a Clan Campbell
kilt, but
the colors are faded after all
these years. As
you can imagine, this is one of
his most prized
pictures.
Dad takes great pride in
having
been a Pfc in
General
George
Patton's Tank Division. He was a member of the 47th Tank Battalion
of the
14th
Armored Division.
He was known as "Mac"
to his fellow soldiers.
"The Liberators"
Dad was also one of the
liberators
of the Nazi Concentration Camp, Dachau.
Dachau is a small town on the
outskirts
of the Bavarian capital, Munich,
home of the infamous Konzentrationslager.
Here are some pictures of Dachau
today. These pictures were sent to us by a really wonderful woman
in
Pennsylvania who is a German teacher at a high school there, and takes
her students on a yearly trip to Germany/Dachau.
The pictures were taken by one
of her students who so graciously sent these pictures to us. THANK YOU!
Thank you for all the emails
to my Dad.
He enjoyed getting them and did
know quite a few people he was asked about.
A Daughter's entry:
September 20, 2004
We buried Dad today......it was a most beautiful ceremony on a clear
and warm day.
Dad had Military Honors, with 2 Army service men from Ft. Knox, a 21
gun salute from the VFW,
and a piper that played Scotland the Brave when Dad was taken out of
the hearse and Amazing Grace after the services were concluded.
"TAPS" was also played.
My oldest daughter read one of her favorite poems;
written by Mary Elizabeth Frye - 1932:
Do not stand at my grave and weep
I am not there. I do not sleep.
I am a thousands winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush,
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry.
I am not there. I did not die.
There were so many 'memories' and 'trinkets' placed in the casket that we said there wasn't much room left for Dad ;~) I placed an angel figurine and the little bagpiper figurine ,that I bought for Dad when I was in Scotland, in the casket. A DVD of 25 pictures of different times in Dad's life with background music was made and it was played on a screen in the back of the funeral home room. Bagpipe music was softly played at the funeral home along with a few special songs that our family likes. At the final "walk by", by friends and family, one of Dad's favorite gospel songs was played....The Old Rugged Cross.
The hearse stopped in front of Dad's house for approx. 30 secs. for a last goodbye for Dad.
For such as sad and emotional day.......it was beautiful and we know that Dad loved all the 'pomp and ceremony' given to him........and He earned each and every honor given to him. In fact, right after the cemetery service was over, some man came over and asked if the services were for a fallen soldier in Iraq. We said 'no, it is for a WWII veteran'. We then went back to the funeral home's banquet room for lunch and after that we all went to Dad's house and drank a toast to both my Mom and Dad. (Dad had been a widower for 5 yrs.)
We miss him so much........but we know the tears all of us shed are for us.
Dad is now where he has always wanted to be:
Back with Mom......holding her and dancing with her.
We Love you Dad!
Debi & Carol
