Father's Day

Lt. Col. (retired) Robert Hansen, standing left, is director of Joint Base McGuire Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.'s Retiree activitees Office. Colonel Hansen says his late father, Rueben Hansen, seated next to great-grandson Ryan, and holding great-grandson Ryan, passed on several enduring values. Standing next to Colonel Hansen in this 1981 photo are his sons, Robert Hansen and Richard Hansen, both retired Air Force officers. "As I look way back in my life," Colonel Hansen said. "I have two distinct memories of lessons learned from my Dad, Rueben W. Hansen, (1896-1983.) The first is discipline. In his low key way, he demonstrated his approach to discipline by personal actions. Make sure you get the job done and done right. No short cuts, and don’t be afraid of a little hard work. I always knew it when I didn’t follow his expectations. His discipline was not overt, but rather it was subtle and lasting. He expected you to be honest and trustworthy, because that is the way he lived his life. The second is learning how to get the most out of nature by growing crops. He was a farmer at heart and lived some of his life as a farmer. He taught me how to plant, cultivate and harvest, so that we would have fresh food on our table. I grew up as the keeper of the large garden we always had. Since retirement from active duty, I have always had a large garden growing in my back yard. Dad’s personal actions have been remembered throughout my active duty career and in retirement. His influence has greatly helped me in achieving my goals. (Courtesy photo)