Veteran's Day -- They gave their lives for you and me.
Hood To Hero
As a high school senior in the early 1970s, there were a lot of
places I wanted to go: Europe, Hawaii, backstage at a Chicago
concert, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders locker room. But there was
one place I actually had a chance of going where I definitely didn't
want to go. Vietnam.
Don't get me wrong. I was as patriotic as the next guy. I
loved my country. I was almost an Eagle Scout. And I could play a
version of "The Star Spangled Banner" on my tuba that could bring
tears to your eyes. At least, it brought tears to my band teacher's
eyes.
And it wasn't that I had strong feelings one way or the other
about the morality of the war. I registered for the draft like I was
supposed to when I turned 18, and I wasn't thinking about burning my
draft card or moving to Canada or anything like that. The fact is, I
didn't know all that much about the war's political implications, and
I didn't really care -- not like I cared about my '62 Caddy, my
collection of Neil Diamond records and somehow getting a date with a
cute little sophomore named Becky.
When it comes right down to it, I didn't want to go to Vietnam
because... well, there just isn't any other way to say this -- I was
scared. Scared of the jungle. Scared of the Viet Cong. Scared of
napalm. Scared of Agent Orange. Scared of Russian weapons. Scared
of body bags. Scared of being injured. Scared of being killed.
Scared of my high draft number.
Of course, that wasn't my public position. As far as everyone
else was concerned, I was just really focused on getting my college
education. And doing some volunteer work for my church. And getting
married and starting a family. All of which was true. But the cold,
hard fact of the matter was, I was interested in those things because
they were a lot less frightening than Vietnam -- notwithstanding the
prospect of finals, homesickness and potty training.
So it was hard to know what to say when my high school
classmate, John, told me he had joined the Marines and would likely
be shipping out to 'Nam before the school year was out.
"They can't do that, can they?" I asked, worried almost as much
for him as I was for me. "Don't they have to let you graduate from
high school first?"
"I'm 19, almost 20," he said, shrugging his shoulders. He
smiled at the puzzled look on my face. "I got held back a year," he
said, smiling. "Maybe two, I don't remember." Suddenly I felt less
embarrassed about how easily he had pinned me during a 9th grade
wrestling tournament. It looked like man against boy, because it was.
"Look," he said, "you know I've never been much good at this
school stuff. About the only thing I'm any good at is fighting in
the parking lot after football games. So I figure I might as well go
someplace where they don't give you detention for fighting -- they
give you medals."
For the first time in the six years I had known John, I saw
peace in his eyes. Peace -- because he was going to war. It didn't
make sense, but then, few things did those days. I just knew that
John, the parking lot warrior, had found his nobility. He was
willing to go someplace and do a job that a lot of us were unwilling
to do. In fact, just the thought of going there and doing that
scared some of us to death.
And that made him a hero -- at least, to me.
I don't know how many hoods have become heroes in the service of
their country. But every Veteran's Day I think about John and others
like him who fought for peace.
For their country, and for themselves.
~ Joseph Walker ~
<ValueSpeak@msn.com>
Copyright © 2010
Joseph Walker began his professional writing career as a staff writer for the Deseret News in Salt Lake City,
eventually becoming that newspaper's television and live theater critic. Since 1990 he has written a weekly newspaper column called ValueSpeak, which has appeared
in more than 200 newspapers nationally. His published books include How Can You Mend A Broken Spleen?
Home Remedies for an Ailing World for Deseret Book, The Mission: Inside The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints for Warner Books and three ghost-writing projects.
Please take a minute to let Joe know what
you think of his story: Joseph Walker
[ by: Joseph Walker Copyright © 2010 ( ValueSpeak@msn.com ) -- {used with permission} ]
Inspirational Stories
SkyWriting.Net
All Rights Reserved.
|