FRANK by Jared

My father, one always to look up to, has always been the kindness person in my life, but not until a few years back did I start to notice something.

When I was 13, our family was working in the fields to clear away old brush, but somehow the electric fence sparked a tuft of dry grass and started a fire. We didn't see the fire until it was across the only gate to get out, but I managed to jump over the fence to safety and could only watch with horror as the flames continued to rise. Little had I known, my father was once a firefighter and knew what to do. Armed with only a pump sprayer, buckets, and his boots, he dashed down to the near by pond, filled the buckets and the sprayer, and began spraying the flames as my older brother dashed water with the buckets. Soon the winds picked up and the Fire Department was too far away to get to them in time, so my father began to stomp out the flames as he moved the truck that my family was in inch by inch toward the gate. Once at the gate he jumped in the truck, rolled up the windows, and drove THROUGH the fire. The fire was put out, and with my mother looking wide eyed at my father, he began telling us about his days as a firefighter.

One day a year or so after the fire accident, my brother and I became curious after church and asked my father what jobs he had done before he retired. Well, turns out that he has done just about everything except brain surgery! I'll name a few:

He was in the military, a millwright, carpenter, carpet layer, electrician, general contractor, and built B2-Bombers where he was poisoned in an accident that forced him to retire. My father now has a blood disorder from that accident, but that hasn't stopped him one bit from being a full time contractor and electrician. My mother keeps him on his toes with constant remodeling to the houses we buy.

To all those people who's fathers worked in the military and other dangerous jobs, be proud of them, because some day they might save your life with the skills they learned, I'm proud of my father.

Bertram By Valerie from Cherry Hill

My hero is my dad because he is smart, bright and knows a lot of Things also because he can save children, parents and other People's lives because he is a firefighter and he saved a lot of lives And that also makes me proud that almost every day he is helping Someone and also saving their life. I love him very much.

He was born in Riverside New Jersey in 1956. His birthday is February 23,1956. He is right now 42 years old. He was born at Zurrburg Memorial Hospital. His childhood was good because he had very smart parents and he went to college I believe so he could be a fire fighter. He has a very good family.

His contributions are that he saves people's lives. The way he does that is that he saves them if they're in a fire. We can learn from this hero because he is brave to go in fires and save people's lives. the lessons we can admire are that he saves people's lives and this is a hard job to get and it is a good job cause you can see the smiles on the people's lives that he you save.

He helps people when they are on fire because he knows how to take care of things like that. He has the knowledge for that type of stuff. We can learn how to treat fires. and he can show people what to do. The lessons we can admire is that he saves people's Lives and it takes a lot of training to become a fire fighter.

I want to write about my dad because he is my hero and he does not just save my life he can also save other peoples' lives. He has made a difference in my life by saving other peoples' lives almost every day and putting smiles on peoples' faces every day.

DAD by Steven from Cherry Hill

My Dad is my hero because he's strong, smart, and is a great Dad. He is building me an office. My Dad is great with tools. He is a good carpenter. He was a carpenter until he got promoted. Now he's a business manager. He's the best! I'm glad he's my Dad.

In college my Dad was on the honors list. He got real good grades. He was and still is great in all the subjects.

I learned from him that he will do anything for me. I also learned that you should never stop in the middle of something.

I'm glad I have a dad like mine. He really is the best. He's one of my favorite people in the world.

GIL by Chris from Cherry Hill

My hero is my dad. His name is Gil. He used to live in the Philippines. He is my hero because he saved me from drowning. We both like the same things. He is very nice to me and my family. He helps me with my homework when I am stuck.

He was born in Silang on March 22,1952. He grew up in the Philippines which was hard at the time. His family didn't have a lot of money. In 1980 he moved to New Orleans. There he met my mom. Soon he got a job as a cook.

Back in the Philippines he went to school at Manila University. That was the top school in the Philippines. After college he got his first job as a train aerodynamics engineer.

He has benefited our family in many ways. He makes most of the money in our family. I remember how he taught me how to ride my bike. I admire the fact that he saved my life. He saved my life because he saved my when I was drowning when I was 8. He and I like the same things.

One of his traits that I would like to inherit is his bravery. He is very smart. I look up to him. He is nice and polite. He taught me everything I know. That is why he is my hero.

MICHAEL by Michael from Cherry Hill

My hero is my dad. I picked my dad because that he's always there for me. My dad stands out from a crowd because when I want to go to a place with him and some of my friends he will take me and my friends to a park or somewhere.

My dad grew up in Philadelphia. My dad played stickball when he was a kid instead of baseball.My dad`s family was nice like other parents. My dad's parents are still alive but my dad's grandparent died when I was born and one died before I was born.

My dad had a special time coming up and it is when he gets a job that he always wanted which is when he gets his Masters degree. He wants to be a doctor of some sort.

What I can learn from this hero is that always be nice to your friend and to wash your hands.You can also learn that sometimes let your friend borrow stuff.

My hero made a big difference in my life and that is what he is always there for me.He lets me borrow his stuff. I always think of my hero which is my dad.

ORLANDO by DON from CHERRY HILL

My hero is my dad. His name is Orlando like me. He was born on March 10,1969 in New Jersy. Our ancestors come from Puerto Rico. He comes from a large family 13 kids can you believe that.

He liked baseball as a kid. He was on a surfing team in California. We ski and play golf together. I like to cut the grass with him. Sometimes we sneak out to ride bikes together when everybody else is asleep. My dad is very good at building and I like to help him. We even work on his HOT ROD. My dad has an exiting job he is a policeman. He has several awards for being brave.

Even though he punishes me I still love him becase it is for my own good. At times I can be a handful but he still forgives me.

He is a loving father and fun to play with me and my family too. He is very, very fun to play with.

Morgan from Haddon Twp., N.J. U.S.A.

My hero is my father because he is a policeman and loves me so much.

Daniel from Rancho Santa Margarita, California U.S.A

My hero is Michael. Michael was a caring father and was proud to serve in the US Air Force.

Shelley from Abilene, Texas America

My hero is Paul (my father). My father is my hero for many reasons, as it should be. My father is my hero first because the struggles he has had to go through in his life, let me just mention a few. He began selling vegetables on the streets of Houston when he was 6 years old to only have the 50 cents a week he made be stolen by his alcoholic father.

At the age of 12 he was considered his fathers favorite because he was allowed to go to the bars with his father in order to be able to drive him back home late at night so his father could get home safely. Struggling through poverty, betrayial, and the lack of all the material possessions plus a father figure to support his adolescent years is something most of us take for granted and blame our mistakes and failures on.

My father though learned a lesson from it all. The night he graduated from Reagan High School in Houston, he moved out of his house, 2 brothers, 1 sister and his mother, who eventually divorced dad's father, and began his life in a small apartment of his own.

A year later at the age of 19 he joined the Houston Police Department and retired as a Deputy Chief 23 years later. His retirement was full of doing things he enjoyed, yard work, church work and doing some extra track coaching for me. After two years he was told his talent and intelligence for a police officer shouldn't be put to waste and was asked to be the Police Chief in the town where I grew up in Tomball. After struggling through a few years trying to turn around the department, getting rid of the mess the last Chief left behind and having to get rid of a large number of "dirty" cops he has made a name for himself in Tomball as well as America as others do know of his achievments. He has had the highest clearance rate for the last 3 years in all of Harris County and has been nominated for Citizen of the year.

But these things are all status, he has much more going for him. At the age of 21 he married my beautiful mother, Delphine Zoch, 6 years later he had me and another 4 years later had a son, Michael. He has taught me to be strong, succesfull and happy.

Ambition is my strongest trait which I give credit to my father. A student at Abilene Christian University I am a senior Exercise Science and Health major. Played a little volleyball and am currently on the track team. I am no Olympic athlete, dad just taught me to use my talent and so I am. Dad taught me that life is hard but you can make it better. I see others who complain because they don't have enough money to do what they want or they don't have the courage to try new challenges, I think they do, it's inside you and lucky for me, my father is the one who showed it to me.

Christi from Weber City, VA USA