thedrifter
11-14-04, 07:13 AM
Letter to the Editor - No Greater Love Hath a Man...
The Ponca City (Oklahoma) News
"No Greater Love hath a man, that he would lay down his own life for his brother!"
In July of this year I had the opportunity to attend the Khe Sahn reunion with my husband in Irving, Texas. The men and the stories they shared was an experience for me that I would like to share with you. My husband is a proud Marine who served in the deadliest battle (77 days under constant siege from the Vietnamese) in the Viet Nam War's history.
My weekend experience with these brothers (Marines) changed my way of thinking forever in that I will never understand what they went through. I wasn't there they were. However, I can now understand what they meant when the Marines were called the "walking dead." Our men; all veterans gave up the ultimate sacrifice for all of us.
Upon our arrival at the Omni Hotel there were groups of men sitting together, and there were those who were alone and just sat with a blank stare. We gathered for the reception that afternoon, and my husband was introduced to another Marine who served in the same unit. This individual had been bayoneted eight times and was presumed dead. He was placed in a body bag. But, a medical vac personnel noticed movement in the bag. The soldier was still alive! He was a walking testimony of someone who was determined to live despite his injuries. In the same room was another veteran who was assisted by his nurse; and he was paralyzed from the neck down and could only move his eyes. My husband and I acknowledged him with a smile and a pat on the arm, and he responded with a beautiful smile.
Another veteran walked in with no hands and the lower portions of both arms were gone. That reminded me of a quote, "I complained I had no shoes, until I met a man with no feet." And, this was the veteran who would carry in the Marine flag during the ceremony that evening.
The evening ceremony opened with the salute of flags. After the prayer the various flags -- Army, Navy, and the Marine -- were carried in by the selected Veterans. The Veteran with no hands carried in the Marine flag, and he struggled to carry the flag but he did it. All the brothers saluted him and shouted their hooray! You would have to have been there to experience that salute, and the grunt of the marines in unison. I asked my husband how he knew along with all the other Marines to shout at the same time? He commented that it was the sergeant's tone of the voice and training he had had as a Marine. Also, I noticed when the flags were being carried all the veterans stood at attention, and another Indian veteran at our table who was crippled and somewhat bent over; stood tall and a tear came from his eye as he watched his brother struggle to carry the flag. Another veteran had to hold up his right arm with his left arm during the salute. His arm had been re-attached, and was of no use to him.
The highlight of the evening was the presentation of the medals to various veterans. Also, a soldier who had just returned from the Iraq War a week ago was present and gave an update on the war. He carried in a helmet and lit the candle for the "Missing Man." He asked for understanding from everyone and expressed this was going to be hard for him to talk of the war because he had not yet talked about it to anyone. He asked for a moment of silence for one of his brother's who took the hit and was killed. He said it should have been him, but instead his brother had shielded him. This was an emotional time for some of the Veterans. I observed very few who shed a tear, instead they had only blank stares to the floor. I, along with other veterans' wives were the ones who cried silently for the lost lives mentioned.
Lastly, I, along with the other wives, were honored and presented a sterling silver necklace with a medicine wheel emblem and the letters KS were inscribed in the middle of the emblem. The officer stated that if the significant others had not been there for our men, who knows where they would be now? Our young men were rejected when they returned from the war; and did not fit into the mainstream of society. Instead, the drugs and bottle soothed their pain and injuries. This is the sad reality of war. Today, many veterans isolate themselves and are homeless or sit in institutions due to no support system at home because of our ignorance to try to understand what sacrifices our men had to endure for our freedom.
It was ironic for me in that as I observed these men and heard their stories; I thought how appropriate the scripture reading would be for this time. And, that scripture, "No Greater Love hath a man, that be would lay down his own life for his brother!" was quoted every time a medal was presented to a Veteran.
This experience made me realize our Veterans may not have the visible scars on the outside; but they carry those scars on the inside. Because war is an ugly word and reality, it changes the lives of our men who fought and are still fighting today so that we may enjoy our freedom! And, I am sure if my husband's mother was living today she would say, "my son is not the same person he was when he left for the war."
These brave men gave the ultimate sacrifice when they went to war to fight for our freedom! With this thought in mind, as Veteran's Day approaches us, be mindful of this and don't take this day for granted as just another day! Show your utmost respect for veterans who may cross your path, and say a silent prayer for those families who were not as fortunate to have a loved one return from the war.
Joyce Greenwood
Ellie
The Ponca City (Oklahoma) News
"No Greater Love hath a man, that he would lay down his own life for his brother!"
In July of this year I had the opportunity to attend the Khe Sahn reunion with my husband in Irving, Texas. The men and the stories they shared was an experience for me that I would like to share with you. My husband is a proud Marine who served in the deadliest battle (77 days under constant siege from the Vietnamese) in the Viet Nam War's history.
My weekend experience with these brothers (Marines) changed my way of thinking forever in that I will never understand what they went through. I wasn't there they were. However, I can now understand what they meant when the Marines were called the "walking dead." Our men; all veterans gave up the ultimate sacrifice for all of us.
Upon our arrival at the Omni Hotel there were groups of men sitting together, and there were those who were alone and just sat with a blank stare. We gathered for the reception that afternoon, and my husband was introduced to another Marine who served in the same unit. This individual had been bayoneted eight times and was presumed dead. He was placed in a body bag. But, a medical vac personnel noticed movement in the bag. The soldier was still alive! He was a walking testimony of someone who was determined to live despite his injuries. In the same room was another veteran who was assisted by his nurse; and he was paralyzed from the neck down and could only move his eyes. My husband and I acknowledged him with a smile and a pat on the arm, and he responded with a beautiful smile.
Another veteran walked in with no hands and the lower portions of both arms were gone. That reminded me of a quote, "I complained I had no shoes, until I met a man with no feet." And, this was the veteran who would carry in the Marine flag during the ceremony that evening.
The evening ceremony opened with the salute of flags. After the prayer the various flags -- Army, Navy, and the Marine -- were carried in by the selected Veterans. The Veteran with no hands carried in the Marine flag, and he struggled to carry the flag but he did it. All the brothers saluted him and shouted their hooray! You would have to have been there to experience that salute, and the grunt of the marines in unison. I asked my husband how he knew along with all the other Marines to shout at the same time? He commented that it was the sergeant's tone of the voice and training he had had as a Marine. Also, I noticed when the flags were being carried all the veterans stood at attention, and another Indian veteran at our table who was crippled and somewhat bent over; stood tall and a tear came from his eye as he watched his brother struggle to carry the flag. Another veteran had to hold up his right arm with his left arm during the salute. His arm had been re-attached, and was of no use to him.
The highlight of the evening was the presentation of the medals to various veterans. Also, a soldier who had just returned from the Iraq War a week ago was present and gave an update on the war. He carried in a helmet and lit the candle for the "Missing Man." He asked for understanding from everyone and expressed this was going to be hard for him to talk of the war because he had not yet talked about it to anyone. He asked for a moment of silence for one of his brother's who took the hit and was killed. He said it should have been him, but instead his brother had shielded him. This was an emotional time for some of the Veterans. I observed very few who shed a tear, instead they had only blank stares to the floor. I, along with other veterans' wives were the ones who cried silently for the lost lives mentioned.
Lastly, I, along with the other wives, were honored and presented a sterling silver necklace with a medicine wheel emblem and the letters KS were inscribed in the middle of the emblem. The officer stated that if the significant others had not been there for our men, who knows where they would be now? Our young men were rejected when they returned from the war; and did not fit into the mainstream of society. Instead, the drugs and bottle soothed their pain and injuries. This is the sad reality of war. Today, many veterans isolate themselves and are homeless or sit in institutions due to no support system at home because of our ignorance to try to understand what sacrifices our men had to endure for our freedom.
It was ironic for me in that as I observed these men and heard their stories; I thought how appropriate the scripture reading would be for this time. And, that scripture, "No Greater Love hath a man, that be would lay down his own life for his brother!" was quoted every time a medal was presented to a Veteran.
This experience made me realize our Veterans may not have the visible scars on the outside; but they carry those scars on the inside. Because war is an ugly word and reality, it changes the lives of our men who fought and are still fighting today so that we may enjoy our freedom! And, I am sure if my husband's mother was living today she would say, "my son is not the same person he was when he left for the war."
These brave men gave the ultimate sacrifice when they went to war to fight for our freedom! With this thought in mind, as Veteran's Day approaches us, be mindful of this and don't take this day for granted as just another day! Show your utmost respect for veterans who may cross your path, and say a silent prayer for those families who were not as fortunate to have a loved one return from the war.
Joyce Greenwood
Ellie