I left Omaha the day after Christmas, 1970, for California and then Vietnam. My family could not really give me any presents but I did get a notebook and my sister gave me a Servicemans Medal. It is in a somewhat clover shape with the rounded top tip of it being red stating land, rounded rounded side tips white stating sea and air and the bottom rounded tip was blue. I always wore this cross along with my dog tags in Vietnam.
One night I had to bag a body in the morgue. The morgue was basically a somewhat rectangle building with wood racks up the sides and back. Those racks held the litters with the bagged bodies. All I seem to remember of that night is being in the morgue with a litter on the floor with a bag that was open with a dead GI. I carefully cut off his fatigues. The last remaining article was his t-shirt. When it cut it off I saw the Serviceman's medal on him. I was shocked at first and then angry. How could God do this. Let a young man die who was wearing the very medal that was to protect him. I was just dumbfounded. I remember standing up looking at this young man. I had not taken the medal off yet and he was just laying there in this bag, no wounds, just looking like he was asleep with the medal around his neck. I said some prayers and then took off his medal and put it with his other belongings and then tagged his toe, zipped up the bag and then tagged it.
The next morning I noticed that my medal was gone when I was getting ready to hit the sack. (At least in my mind it was the next morning but it was very soon after I took care of this GI.). I still had on my chain but no medal. I know it sounds crazy but I always felt God had given him my medal. And even now it is hard for me to think otherwise.
I have replaced that medal but have been afraid to wear it for fear that I would lose it. I have been wearing it for sometime but this morning I immediately noticed it was off my neck but I had the chain on. As I got out of bed I saw the medal lying there. Although I often think of this young man, this brought those memories back again unexpectedly and I again saw this young man laying there with the medal, asleep and with God.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Thats a tough one. I hope you continue to wear your medal as a sign of affection for those brothers that did not make it back. I know it had to be tough to do your job so may you be at peace.
Take care my brother and know that you are in a fraternity that is limited in number. No one can be a member that hasn't walked in our footsteps.
Peace
Charles "Doc" Nordan
Post a Comment