"Dude, Here's Your Tiki Cup!"

I needed a new laptop. Simple, right? NO!Not simple at all for a non-techie like me. Well, I lost my Blog and finally, with a little help, found it again. 
On to my Andy story.
This past week we met with a videographer who is going to help us with a video.She asked if there were things about Andy that people, in general, did not know about. 
This is an Ace episode that only some would have knowledge of but it makes me laugh every time and I thank the Marine who relayed the story. 
We had made the trip to the reserve center in Chicago for the dedication of a memorial shortly after Andy was KIA. We had the opportunity to meet Marines from that area for the first time. A young Marine approached us to tell us how much Andy meant to him and related how he met and came to know Ace. I apologize for not remembering his name but I can still see his face along with the tears sliding down his face to his smile as he talked. 
For those who don't know, Camp Pendleton in California, is a base that trains combat readiness. This Chicago Marine who approached us was at Camp Pendleton with Ace prior to deployment to Iraq. One of his duties was to ensure that rooms were inspection ready. He knocked on a door and was told to "Come in". He opened the door and stared in wonder! In the room was a Marine with a room like no other: Ace had managed to make his room into a California beach! He had "sand" (a beige shag rug), an inflatable palm tree, a poster of a model in a bikini. He was wearing sunglasses, shorts and flip flops and sitting in a beach chair, holding a Tiki cup! Ace proceeded to say to this Marine as he stood there, speechless, "Dude, here is your Tiki cup. Bring it with you whenever you enter my room". The astonished Marine just said, "You are in so much trouble!" as he backed out of the room with his Tiki cup in hand.
This Marine, as he completed his story, laughing and crying, said, "And you know what Maam? Andy never got in trouble for his room. Everyone loved going to his room because he made them laugh."
I hold this story close to my heart as it really epitomizes what Ace did his entire life, make people happy. Ace still can make me smile and laugh out loud! What a tremendous gift!

Ace's Mom
 "There is nothing to be unhappy about"~ Andy "Ace" Nowacki