[THIS ODE (PRESENTED IN A SERIES OF INSTALLMENTS) IS A SUMMARIZED VERSION OF DADDY MAX’S BIOGRAPHICAL BOOK ENTITLED FOREVER YOUNG: A WALK THROUGH THE LIFE OF MAXIMO PURISIMA YOUNG; IN CELEBRATION AND THANKSGIVING FOR HIS ELECTION THIS YEAR AS PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINE EXPEDITIONARY FORCE TO KOREA VETERANS’ ASSOCIATION INC. (“PVAI”), A POSITION IN THE PVAI WHICH HAS BEEN TRADITIONALLY RESERVED (SINCE PVAI’S INCEPTION) TO PHILIPPINE MILITARY ACADEMY GRADUATES. DADDY MAX IS RECIPIENT OF THE SILVER STAR MEDAL CONFERRED ON HIM BY THE U.S. GOVERNMENT BY REASON OF HIS HEROIC FEATS IN WORLD WAR 2. HE WAS ALSO CONFERRED THE GOLD CROSS MEDAL BY THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT AS HE EMERGED AS HERO AT THE BATTLE OF MIUDONG, THE FIRST BATTLE ENGAGED BY FILIPINO SOLDIERS IN FOREIGN SOIL DURING THE KOREAN WAR. ON JULY 27, 2016 THE SOUTH KOREAN GOVERNMENT CONFERRED UPON HIM THE HIGHEST ORDER OF THE TAEGEUK MERIT MEDAL IN RECOGNITION OF HIS HEROIC FEATS DURING THE KOREAN WAR IN BOTH THE BATTLES OF MIUDONG AND YULDONG. ]
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And the Japs one day espied and bombarded their VESSEL,
Their ship got hit and it capsized near a TUNNEL;
Outgunned and outnumbered, they frantically SCAMPERED…
With the thought of fighting another day, they willingly SURRENDERED!
And they all eventually became PRISONERS OF WAR,
Forced to do menial jobs even painting the Japs’ camp’s fence with TAR;
Even cleaning the latrine and bathing the Japs CLEAN…
But they successfully escaped after crafting a good SCHEME!
And the SILVER STAR medal was awarded unto our DAD,
Disregarding dangers through the supply route they TROD;
The citation which accompanied the award of the MEDAL,
Is written in the bio book as though inscribed on a PETAL!
The biographical book which I wrote for my DAD,
In fact was not planned, started scribbling on a mere PAD;
My niece who’s name is Gabby, sent a request to DADDY,
She has a school project, and she does not want to be TARDY!
A bunch of questions in a seeming QUESTIONNAIRE,
Was sent by my niece to Dad Max, thru EMAIL;
I was then tasked by Dad Max to answer & REPLY,
It was a work assignment that I must COMPLY!
It was a project at Gabby’s school in SINGAPORE,
As her Mom is an expat who truly earns MORE;
At that international school, a story about DAD…
Must be submitted, as all of them was tasked to write a story of their own GRANDDAD!
It was a gift which we gave Dad MAX,
On his 90th natal day, gee…the book cover was shiny as WAX;
Since I accumulated a lot of materials as I did interviews with DADDY,
Writing a bio book came as an idea which was so nice and DANDY!
Sorry for this brief & unwanted DIVERSION…
I need to tell this as you might be swayed to ask a QUESTION,
Why was the book written so late INDEED?
If I only knew earlier Dad’s feats, the book would’ve been surely earlier PRINTED!
