The American Veteran...My Hero! (Military/Marine W/O)
Nov 10 '02
The Bottom Line The American Veteran deserves our recognition and gratitude!
This is my submission for the Marine Corps/Military Write-Off.
My family has been sending its men to war and military service since before the civil war. My great great grandfather fought with the Union in the 1860's. My great grandfather fought in Europe in World War I. My grandfather went ashore with the Marines at Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima. My father is a peacetime veteran of the early 1960's, and I served during Operation Desert Storm with Army Field Artillery (although my unit was never sent to Kuwait).
I was not an especially patriotic person prior to my time in the military, but something about my in-service time changed me. I grew to love my country and the freedoms it provides. With that came a growing interest in military history. At the conclusion of my military service, I attended law school and then moved back to the area in which I grew up. While I was away, a man with no military background started a museum dedicated to veterans--The Veterans Memorial Museum in Centralia, Washington. The founder, Lee Grimes, is a patriotic man who had encountered many veterans whose service and achievements had been essentially forgotten. He (rightfully) felt that this was an injustice to the men and women who gave so much for so many.
So, with virtually no funding and no help from anyone other than his wife, Barbara, Lee began the museum. The motto of the museum was "They shall not be forgotten." You should have seen the response! Veterans came out of the woodwork donating their time, their money, and their military memorabilia to the museum. A building lease was acquired, display cases erected and in 1997, the museum set forth on its mission to tell the story of the American Veteran. The museum is now in its sixth year and is in the middle of a 1.8 million dollar building campaign. When that goal is accomplished, the museum will relocate about 3 miles to some property adjacent to Interstate 5. (Visit the museum on the web at: http://www.veteransmuseum.org)
I fell in love with the museum on my first trip. Lee Grimes gave me a personal tour. I remember going through the Korean War section where I saw a case filled with articles donated by a man whose real name I won't mention. You see, my law practice includes a great deal of criminal defense, and I once represented this particular man in a DUI case. The man had had several DUI's and, just by looking at him, you might think he was just another blue collar drunk. That wasn't always the case. As I could see from the display at the museum, this man was a former combat infantryman. He was wounded in battle--twice. He was decorated with several awards, including the Silver Star. In short, the man was a war hero. His story needs to be remembered, and not just remembered, it needs to be told.
I am now on the Board of Directors for the museum and I see this man at various functions. He always gets clean and sober for museum events. His hair is combed and his clothes are clean. He is amongst his brothers and he enjoys the time very much. I don't know if you have ever been at a gathering of veterans, but they overwhelmingly don't talk about war. They communicate with their eyes and almost imperceptible nods of their heads. They know what it's like and they know their buddies know. And that's enough. Being together with others that "know" gives a certain comfort and camaraderie that amateur authors like myself cannot describe.
I attended a museum function where much of "the usual" was taking place--men standing in groups talking about others who were absent, kids drinking punch, ladies laughing and keeping watchful eyes on the men. Then suddenly the men stopped talking and everyone turned to the door. A very unassuming man had walked in and was talking to Lee. He was wearing blue jeans and blue collared shirt and looked like every other man you've seen in a hardware store. Except this man had served in Vietnam. When a grenade was thrown into his unit’s position he fell on it to save his comrades. The grenade opened up his neck and chest and he almost died, but miraculously he lived. He was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor--the highest military award our country issues. The only award bearing the word "Valor." The men at this function approached this man, and one by one, they shook his hand and saluted him. I won't ever forget that image.
And the list goes on. My neighbor was a Marine in Vietnam and was wounded three times. Three Purple Hearts. And, a Distinguished Service Cross. Now he drives a white truck and hands out mail. Yes, he's a mailman. Housewives gripe to him about the amount of junk mail they receive (like he has any control over it), and they have no idea a hero has just been to their door! Another man was a mechanic in the Air Force. He has such a bad back he can hardly stand, but when he tells you that not one of his aircraft ever failed to be mission capable when scheduled to fly, he stands so straight and so tall, you'd think he was getting ready to go shoot some hoops. Another man was a Marine Master Gunnery Sergeant who retired after more than 30 years of service. His sniper rifle is on display at the museum. Another man who doesn't look like anything special won the 440 yard dash at the Army all-Europe track and field championships. He is also a combat veteran from Korea. Another man was a POW in Vietnam and nobody, except for his wife, has ever seen him with his shirt off--not even his kids. I don't have to tell you why.
The Museum is a kind of therapeutic haven for those from all walks of life. It stirs all kinds of emotions. I've seen men go through the entire museum and not say a word. Not one single word. I'm not kidding--not one, single word. Then at the end, they shake your hand and, with tears in their eyes, they say "Thank you. Thank you for doing this. I didn't know anybody cared this much." I took my grandfather through the museum and he related stories I'd never heard before. Although, I got the feeling he wasn't talking to me specifically (even though I was the only one there), he was stating his history. He was interacting with the displays. I once asked the director, Lee, how many tears had been shed in the display area. His eyes twinkled, and he said, "More than I can count, but apparently, how ever many it is, it's not enough." I didn't fully understand at the time, but I do now. There are so many tears yet to be shed by the men and women who served our great country.
I love America. I love the Constitution. I love the flag. I have made it a practice that every time I encounter somebody who has served in the armed forces, I shake their hand and thank them for their service. I am yet to receive a negative response. Yesterday at Safeway, I was buying cold pills for my wife and an old guy I didn't know was at the pharmacy counter wearing a black hat with the name of a ship on it. I asked him if he served in the Navy. He had. I shook his hand and said thank you. I told my daughter that he was a hero. The man shook my hand and told me thank you. We went our separate ways and I thought that was last I'd see of him. It so happened we hit the parking lot at the same time. He didn't see me, but I watched him walk to his truck. It bore a Washington State Pearl Harbor Survivor license plate. The ship was the USS Oklahoma.
Now think how many people died in combat. Brutal deaths from we, as individuals, benefit. Who will remember them? It's hard to think of those you've never met, nor ever will. But, make it a point to remember. Not just on Veteran's Day or Memorial Day or on the 4th of July. These people are heroes. They deserve to be remembered, and not just remembered, but honored.
I am so proud of the American veteran. We would not have the freedoms we enjoy without their sacrifices. So to you have served: I thank you with a most sincere heart. And I invite you to leave a comment telling me where and when you served. I would love to hear your story.
THEY SHALL NOT BE FORGOTTEN!
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November 10 is the birthday of the US Marine Corps. In honour of this occasion, which is a big event for Marines, the following recruits have signed up to celebrate the event in style by posting a review that is related in some way to the Marine Corps, the military, military history, or perhaps even something that would be meaningful. Please stop and visit.
aliventiasylum
andymcf
badkittyM
conradd
DrDevience
ed_grover
jo.com
kidnykid
klueger
kurt_messick (Host)
lilscamp
lorendiac
lyagushka
mrkstvns
mshawpyle
sleeper54
tombarnes
usmarinecorps (co-host/honoree)
wadesam
xiphoid
4-1-1
In particular, this write-off was inspired by the recent appearance of Epinions member usmarinecorps, who joined Epinions and is celebrating his two-month anniversary November 10, and is currently in the Persian Gulf area; it also celebrates the son of Epinions member conradd, Shane, who is currently in training in San Diego and graduates from boot camp in December.
Semper fi!
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Epinions.com ID:
wadesam
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Member: Wade Samuelson
Location: Centralia, Washington
Reviews written: 34
Trusted by: 34 members
About Me:
Where do you stand in the Valley of Decision?
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