Good day team,
In honor of Memorial Day, I am sending this challenge about our armed forces.
Below is a picture of my Uncle Johnny. The year is 1945. He is 19 years old and a soldier in World War II. He enlisted at the age of 18 and fought on the shores of Normandy on June 6, 1944, D-Day. By the time this picture was taken, my Uncle Johnny was no longer a boy. He was a changed man. The horrors he witnessed during his tour of duty were unimaginable. He never spoke about them until he was in his late 70’s. One evening, very late at night, his only son asked him what the war was like. Over tears and lamentations, he spoke about his experiences.
My Uncle Johnny came back from the war as did his older brother, my Uncle Bud. They both survived but not without scars. My Uncle Bud lived with shrapnel in his back and shoulder for the rest of his life. He never complained and he never talked about the war.
I know that my uncles were brave during the war. I also saw their bravery exhibited throughout their lives. They got up each morning with an appreciation for the lives they lived. They worked hard, supported and enjoyed their families, and never quite understood why they came home from the war when many of their buddies did not. I guess they figured that in coming back home, they had a chance to make the best of their lives. It was one way they could honor their comrades who didn’t get that chance.
Today, there are plenty of kids serving in Afghanistan who like my uncles, are witnessing unimaginable horrors. There are countless men and woman who have returned home from serving in Iraq and Afghanistan who deal with a myriad of physical and psychological wounds every day. How they are supported and treated when they return, is our responsibility. Hopefully, we are here to help them in whatever way we can.
.
This week, spend a minute or two in grateful appreciation for our armed forces. I don’t believe that war is ever the answer, but the fact remains that at this very moment, it is happening in many places around the globe. Wherever they are, whether it be in Iraq, Afghanistan, or here in the US, take a moment to thank them, to love them, and to hope that they, like the rest of us, will live to see a world someday that lives in peace.
Have a good week!
Kathleen
Kathleen Doyle-White
Pathfinders Coaching
(503) 296-9249
© Copyright 2010 Pathfinders Coaching, Scout Search, Inc., all rights
reserved.
uncle_johnny