Valentine's Day - A true love story.

If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don’t love, I’m nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. If I speak God’s Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, “Jump,” and it jumps, but I don’t love, I’m nothing. If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.

Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.
Love doesn’t strut,
Doesn’t have a swelled head,
Doesn’t force itself on others,
Isn’t always “me first,”
Doesn’t fly off the handle,
Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn’t revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end - 1 Corinthians 13 1-7

This love story began January 20, 1954.

I was in the United States Air Force and stationed at Castle AFB, Merced, California as a supervisor of Air Traffic Control in the Control Tower. I received a phone call from the Red Cross that my grandfather was terminally ill.

I was granted leave and acquired a flight back to Johnstown, Pennsylvania. We landed in a snow storm and tried to get a taxi to take me home. Nothing was available so I called a neighbor and explained that I needed a ride. They went to get someone and a young girl came to the phone. She volunteered to drive up to the airport and pick me up.

I can't, even to this day, explain my feelings the first time I saw her. I was immediately smitten by her. Later she said she had the same feeling. I couldn't get over her. I had to ask her out and to my surprise she agreed. From that time on we were inseparable. One evening we stay out all hours of the night, took her home, then a few hours later went back to drive her to work.

Time came when I returned to California, but I could not get her out of my mind. So on a whim I called her and asked her to marry me. This was 10 days after I first met her. She wholeheartedly agreed and I sent her money for an airline ticket. She told her mother she was going stay overnight with my sister and packed a small bag. On February 2, 1954 she arrived in Oakland, California where I met her in the terminal and gave her a ring. Did I mentioned that she was dating my brother at the time, who was also in the Air Force and stationed in England.

The following day, February 3rd, we drove to Reno, Nevada and were married. We had a little difficulty getting a license, she was old enough, (18) but I was only 20 years old and I needed to be 21. I relentlessly begged the clerk until she gave us the license.

We then immediately went to the Justice of the Peace, who smelled like a brewery and the man that stood as witness could barely stand up. Our license was signed and off we went. I told my new bride to hang on for one wild ride. (Not knowing if we were truly married we were married once again in a church in March of 1954.)

After we left the court house, we were both hungry, although our funds were limited. We found the nearest restaurant and after looking at the menu we decided just to have a grilled cheese sandwich and a bowl of tomato soup to share. Gourmet Meal, as it was known to become throughout our lifetime.

Money was scarce to say the least , but we made it, love overrode everything. We decided to make a career in the Air Force which required a lot of sacrifice on both of us. Along our tour we had three great children and retired when we were still young. I secured a position with the Federal Aviation Administration and worked there for 20 years. Our love for each other never wavered. We enjoyed our married life traveling and seeing the world. We had boats, motorcycles, I had my pilots license, we had motor homes, cruised on ships, and rode trains. Sure, we had disputes but always solved them before we went to bed at night.

After 58 years and 3 months of blissful marriage the Lord called her home and I miss her terribly. I still say across the bed "goodnight honey I love you".

By the way it was years before my brother ever talked to me again.

Love works:
Roland J .McNulty