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This Father’s Day, it’s all about the mustache.

Not my mustache, my dad’s.

It’s quite the sight. The salt and peppery mix (it’s becoming more salt than pepper as of late) is the standard power mustache: full from top lip to nose, cut at the corners of his mouth. His sons, the four Salem boys, sometimes liken it to Tom Selleck’s version.

It’s all business all the time.

My dad — the four Salem brothers often refer to him by his first name, Chuck, because he’s more than just a dad — turned 64 years old May 16. His mustache, I kid you not, just had its own birthday, too. Forty years ago last month, my dad was serving in the U.S. Army and was stationed in South Korea, 5 miles south of the demilitarized zone. The first week overseas, in May 1969, Chuck thought it would be a good idea to grow a mustache. It turned out to be his greatest idea ever.

Fast forward 40 years, and the whiskers under his nose are still there. He’s never shaved it. Shaving it could be likened to shaving his best friend right off his face.

Naturally, rather than throwing Chuck a 64th birthday party last month, the Salem brothers (Chad, 37; Ryan, 33; Chris and myself, both 26) determined it would be a good idea to throw Chuck’s mustache a 40th surprise birthday party instead.

The idea turned out to be a gem.

Now, this plan had been in the works for a good six months leading up to the party and somewhere along the way we decided to take the party to the next level and have the four brothers grow legit mustaches for the occasion. Full mustaches, nothing half-hearted like some of those I see out and about in the Northland. And the mustaches had to be paired with the attitude that inherently goes along with sporting a mustache. These had to be power mustaches, just like dad’s … and Selleck’s.

The month leading up to the party, we disguised our mustaches in full beards before shaving the day of the surprise party. No one could know about the covert operation that was to take place May 16. Growing the mustaches was our way of paying homage to the mustache that started it all.

As you already know, a mustache never looks just OK on a man. It either looks horrid or it delivers the goods. Chuck’s has delivered for him time and time again for 40 years, but that gene didn’t get passed to any of his four boys. We all looked like a joke, which, honestly, is what we were hoping for. For the Salems that were mustache-impaired (females and children) we had fake mustaches for the big reveal.

Needless to say, the surprise party went off without a hitch. Chuck, his mustache and our mom (she too had to be kept in the dark) didn’t see it coming.

It was classic. We broke the world record for high fives in a five-minute span. I cried, it was so funny.

We even had a Dairy Queen ice cream cake that read "Happy Birthday Chuck’s mustache."

The bash was our way of telling our dad that we loved him. The best part was he totally got it. He knew we weren’t making fun of him (it’s not like it’s possible to make fun of a 40-year-old mustache anyway, it just isn’t feasible). He knew that we went to all the work of organizing a surprise party and growing the beards-turned-mustaches for weeks because we loved him and appreciated all he did for us growing up.

So, no matter how you do it, make sure you tell your pop you love him this Father’s Day. And if he sports a mustache, well, you’re welcome for the best party idea ever.

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written by Chad Salem, June 18, 2009

Speaking as the eldest Salem brother in the 'mustache crew,' I can honestly say that I most resembled Tom Selleck (both in looks and attitude). Also, I have always thought of myself as Chuck's greatest idea ever, with the mustache a close second. All kidding aside, great article about a great idea and an even greater party. Hope everyone has a wonderful Father's Day.

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Meaning of Mustache
written by Dr. Abraham J. Froman, June 30, 2009

As the chief executive officer of the American Mustache Institute, the ACLU of the downtrodden Mustached American people, we applaud you, your brothers, and your father for taking pride in wearing a labia sebucula, which is Latin for "lip sweater."

And while we appreciate the act of growing mustaches to celebrate your father's commitment to our way of life, understand that shaving a lower nose garden should not be taken lightly.

As it reads in the Dead Sea Scrolls, each time a mustached is shaved, an angel in heaven dies and falls to earth. So if you do remove your lip sweater, the death of an angel will hang over your conscience.

Again, thank you for your gesture, and if you would like to learn more about the Mustached American lifestyle, visit us at www.AmericanMustacheInstitute.org or call us at 877-STACHE-1.

Carry on.

Dr. Abraham Jonas Froman
Chief Executive Officer
The American Mustache Institute

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