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“Welcome
Home”
Pamela
Perry Blaine
©January,
2006
(Story
as told to me by a Viet Nam Veteran
who
prefers to remain anonymous)
The
other day I was walking into the local Wal-Mart store when
I
noticed an older man walking beside a younger man.
The
younger man was wearing army fatigues.
I
was curious so I stopped and asked, “Excuse me young man,
but
I was just wondering if you were in the service
or
are you just wearing fatigues?"
The
young man stated that he was really in the army and
then
his Dad added in a strong voice that was filled with
pride,
“This is my son and he has just returned
from his
second tour in Iraq."
I
told him how glad I was that he had returned home safely
and
then I said, “Young man, I would like to do something
for
you that no one outside of my family did for me
when
I returned home from serving in Viet Nam.”
“What
is that?” he asked.
“I’d
be proud to welcome you home by shaking your hand
if
I might and say thank you for your service
to
our country,” I said as I held out my hand.
The
young soldier and his Dad both stood a little taller
as
the young man stuck out his hand which I readily grasped
and
we just stood there, the three of us, with our right hands joined.
We
were three strangers drawn together by a common bond,
we
all understood, not needing to say anything more.
After
nodding to each other, I started to break the grasp and
walk
away but the young soldier seemed to have something
on
his mind as he hesitated, and then he stopped me
before
I could move. He was quiet
for a moment and then he
looked
me straight in the eye and then he ever so clearly
uttered
the words, "Thank you . . . and . . . Welcome Home”.
We
then parted company as we went our separate ways.
I
finished buying the supplies I needed, walked on home,
and
oh yeah … I cried.
(Anonymous
Viet Nam veteran)
We
often forget to be thankful to those who serve our country,
protect
us from terrorism, and preserve our freedom.
We
have veterans living today that have served us in WWII,
Korea,
Viet Nam, and The Persian Gulf. We
have those
on
active duty who are serving our country right now
in
Iraq as well as other places around the world.
Today
the average age of a WWII Veteran is 81;
we
are quickly losing them from the battlefield of life.
They
are now leaving us at the rate of 1500 per day.
I
see many of them carrying our flag in parades and
participating
in military funerals. They
tell me the veteran’s
organizations
need more veterans to help them with these
duties
now. This is due to the
failing health and the deaths
of
most of the WWII veterans who have kept these
organizations
alive with their unswerving dedication
and
patriotism. Perhaps it’s time we expressed appreciation
with
a card or a phone call to someone we know personally
while
there’s still time. It
shouldn’t have to be Memorial Day
or
Veteran’s Day for us to be appreciative toward all
of
our veterans no matter where they served.
The point is
that
they served and gave of themselves
that
we might live in freedom.
We
can also show our appreciation to those serving us
right
now by writing letters, sending e-mails,
or
sending packages to our soldiers. *
Today is a good day
to
be grateful, there’s no time like the present and it’s
the
only time that we have for certain. When
we see or
hear
of a soldier coming home from war, most important of all,
let’s
remember to give them a heartfelt,
“Thank
you
. . . and
. . .
Welcome Home!”
Pamela
Perry Blaine
©January,
2006
"If
you love your freedom, thank a vet"
*Internet
Link to a site for more information on ways to support our troops:
Internet
Link to a tribute to WWII Vets
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