my father, wilford, was doing his part fighting the nazis, working as a civil servant at the hawthorne navy base in western nevada. he passed away when i was 11 years old. his death came after a long and painful battle with lung disease. contracted following years of exposure to the hazardous chemicals and toxic fumes at the base. even in the end, when my dad struggled for breath, he never regretted serving his country and i'm proud to tell you of his patriotism. i am also proud to tell you that the most important mentor in my life was my mother, edna drink wine. you see, i know what it's like to be a single mom, struggling to make ends meet while caring for your family. i saw my mother do that after my father died. she had never worked outside the home, but my mother knew she had to support her family. my brother and me. with meager savings she brought.a. small dress shop and i work side-by-side with her until the time she sold it when i was 40 years old. that dress shop was really a classroom for me, where he learned the importance of hard work, responsibility, honesty, integrity and yes,