It's November and to many people it getting ready for turkey day and then the real start of Christmas shopping. To me, it was the time I learned I was going to Vietnam and the day I returned.
Most of all, it is a month that brings many tears and memories. I find myself tearing up at most anything and having a hard time trying to talk, hide my emotions and hold back the crying. I begin to wonder why this happens and then I remember that in November it is Veteran's Day. I believe it is burned into every veterans being, especially those who served at a time of war and more so for those who served in the war zone. For me it brings back memories of my fellow 24th Evac GI's and I miss them.
The memories of the fallen are so vivid and clear. I will never forget those soldiers that I encountered in Vietnam. The pilot so badly burned they could do nothing for him. My bunkmate who was an OR Tech told me of him before I went in that night. He spoke of the sadness everyone was feeling for him and that he was not alone as hospital staff took turns being there with him. HE stated that this young man told them that he knew there were other worse than him and were being treated first. When I went in that night I stopped into pre-op. He was unconscious but I came and went as the night wore on as others did. The nurse explained to me why they could do nothing for him, that he was blind and was not in pain. It was a very sad night. In the early a.m. I was there when the Dr. pronounced him dead. You could hear a pin drop as he listened for a heart beat but there was none. There were many tears flowing from the staff, much like the day staff had done earlier. God, how is wish I remembered his name so I could someday meet his family and tell them he did not die alone and that his 24th Evac family was there when he died and he was loved and shown the utmost respect. They will never be forgotten.
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