Tell Us About, and Show Us, Your Dads

Father's Day is this coming Sunday, June 18, and Patch is asking its readers in Hartford and Tolland counties to proudly brag about and show off their dads by sharing photos and stories about them.

In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson issued the first presidential proclamation honoring fathers, designating the third Sunday in June as Father's Day. Six years later, the day was made a permanent national holiday when President Richard Nixon signed it into law in 1972.

From a personal standpoint, I would love to see the name of the holiday changed to Dad's Day. As I've said many times over the years, including at the end of my dad's eulogy in 2010, "Everyone has a father, but I was lucky enough to have a dad."

Tell us your dad's story (briefly, in 100 words or less) - where he grew up or resided, if he served in the military, his occupation, anything you'd like to share about him. Most importantly, tell us why your dad is or was such a special person.

Each submission must be accompanied by a photo - the larger the better. Be sure your dad's first and last name are included, as well as your name and hometown.

Email your submissions to northern Connecticut Patch editor Tim Jensen at tim.jensen@patch.com. Stories and photos received by 6 p.m. Saturday, June 17 will be included in a feature we are publishing on all Hartford and Tolland county Patch sites Sunday.

Photo credit: The Jensen Family