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I loved George Kurpis.

If for no other reason, because at 18-years old he jumped into the fiery waters of Pearl Harbor from the USS West Virginia on Dec. 7, 1941, survived Japanese strafing and soon after helped recover charred remains of fellow sailors from the same waters he survived.

Which makes him worthy of being honored and remembered.

If for no other reason, because he was the master entertainer for years at the Krystal on Canton Road most every weekday morning There he would meet with other WWII and Korean veterans for breakfast, stories and a lot of laughs. He always provided a smile and a great story or joke. Make that stories and jokes. Sometimes the jokes were so bad they were good, but that didn't hinder George's enthusiasm while telling them.

George Kurpis 1921-2010

Which makes him worthy of being honored and remembered.

If for no other reason, because my daughter, Reagan, who came to know Kurpis at age four, found him bigger than life and one of the kindest people she would come to know in her youth. She named him Krystal George, because that's where she met him and was the only place she ever saw him. Many days, before attending pre-school, she would ask to go see Krystal George where she knew he would be. When we did, he always had a coloring book or some other small gift for her. And kindness. Which made her happy.

Which makes him worthy of being honored and remembered.

If for no other reason, because it is getting more and more difficult to find a George Kurpis in this world. Someone truly kind. Someone who agreed to talk about the infamous day at Pearl Harbor but did so without a hint of bravado. Someone who just did his job that day while encountering some of the most gruesome scenes anyone could imagine. Someone who picked up dead, burned friends out of the water and loaded them into a boat. In talking of the day, he gave a simple, honest account of his experiences on one of the most historical days in history. "We just followed what we were told to do," Kurpis once said to me.

Which makes him worthy of being honored and remembered.

If for no other reason, because those who knew him loved him for his good nature and friendship. Because he seemed to be a man who understood it all could have ended Dec. 7, 1941 but didn't let it ruin his life and learned forgiveness in his later years toward those who randomly fired into the Pearl Harbor waters. Hoping to kill.    

Which makes him worthy of being honored and remembered.

At his death on Jan. 20, 2011,  Kurpis was 89 years old. That age was reached 71 years after it could have ended with 2,008 of his Navy counterparts. He comes from a generation quickly leaving this world but whose mark will never be erased. They saved the world, and George Kurpis, no matter if it was thrust upon him or not, was part of them and there to help.

Which makes them all worthy of being honored and remembered.

And my now 11-year-old daughter cried on two nights when she heard the only one of them she knew had passed.

Which makes him worthy of being honored and remembered.