One of the reasons I am so interested in the Legacy Stories project is that I feel compelled to understand my own identity as a bi-racial woman.  Often I feel torn between two worlds so now I making a real effort to document both my parents' history.   

My father was born in Oakdale, Tenneesee in 1929--right as the depression started.  He lived on the family farm with his parents, Walter and Ida Mae Eble and his two older brothers, Ira and Arlo.   He was determined to follow in his brothers' footsteps and join the military.   He had to get my grandmother to sign papers to let him enlist in the Air Force since he was not yet 18.   My dad was a very determined young man!

Eventually, he was stationed in the Philippines in Manila.  On July 4, 1951, he was at a party when he met my mother, Maria Aida Varona Gepana.   I don't know if it was love at first sight, but they started dating immediately and married on Feb 9, 1952 before my father was shipped back to the States.

I'm grateful that my parents found ways to bridge the gaps and allow us to embrace both the American and Filipino cultures.