Perspective: Artist father, warrior son

Here's the thing about fathers and sons: Fathers nudge, they suggest, and they push. It's an irresistible urge.

And sons, well, they listen but sometimes they go in other directions. It happens. And in the best of relationships, everyone is fine with that. Sometimes puzzled or concerned, but fine.

This is one of those stories.

Thirty-two year old Nick Johnson is an Airborne Ranger, a helicopter pilot in the middle of his second tour in Iraq. He is often one of the first responders to an IED (improvised explosive device) attack on American convoys. He is home in San Francisco for two weeks but then goes back to finish his seven-month tour.

Robert Johnson is Nick's father. He's the curator of the Legion of Honor Fine Arts Museum. Nick likes to say his dad is the kind of guy who would "weigh whether to pay the electric bill or buy a new piece of art." Robert hates the war.

Read the rest at the SF Chronicle