“Happy Memorial Day, Grandpa, thanks for serving in the Army!” came the voice of our grandson Garrick on the other end of the phone this morning. It’s funny Larry was just Garrick’s age when he served in the army nearly fifty years ago. How young he was when he served in America’s longest and most unpopular war, the Vietnam War. As most know veterans of this war was not cheered by the world because the war was so controversial and unpopular. Yet these young men went anyway.
Larry and I were dating when he was drafted into the army in 1966, I was smitten by this blond headed, tall handsome guy but he being more practical made no commitment before he left. Years later I would find out that he did not think he would ever come back from the war. I visited him at Fort Leonardwood at his Basic Training Graduation, with his brother and mother and even then he was preoccupied with what was to come but he didn’t waver from his duty or complain about having to go.
The night he was to be shipped to Vietnam, the whole fort was put on lock down because of so many going AWOL. At that time many soldiers went to Canada rather than serving and in some ways were considered heroes for not serving in this war. Armed guards were stationed all around the buildings and when they finally were allowed out, guards stood shoulder to shoulder as they filed out to get on the plane that would fly them overseas. This 22 year old, from Decatur, Illinois knew for sure “then” that he would never see the US again but still he wouldn’t have dreamed of running because he felt like this was his duty even if he died doing it. Freedom was worth it, in fact he has always held the belief that anything worth having would be worth dying for.
When he arrived in Vietnam, he was to be a combat engineer in charge of fixing heavy equipment in the hostel jungle terrain but when he arrived, nearly the whole company had been killed so he was shipped to Thailand to work on equipment and stayed there for the duration of his one year stay. If he had arrived a week earlier he would have been among the dead. I see that God, even then had his hand on my dear Larry.
When his year was up, he flew into Chicago and had to hitchhike home, in uniform, with his duffle bag over his shoulder he headed down that dark road. No parades, no welcoming committee no medals but I am yet to hear him complain about doing what he considered his duty. He considered it payment for the privilege of living in this great country. As he stuck his thumb out, to make his way home, some distance to travel in the middle of the night, a semi-truck driver stopped to pick him up. He asked Larry where he was headed and with that the driver says “get in, I am headed there too.” With that, Larry climbed up into the big rig threw his duffle next to him and traveled the three hours home with a stranger. When he got close to Decatur, Larry told the driver to just let him off outside of town and he would find a way home from there but this man insisted he drive him all the way home taking him way out of his way. He took him to his door, and as Larry grabbed a duffle bag and started to get out the truck driver, with tears in his eyes, shook his hand and thanked him for serving his country so he could be free.
As we celebrate this Memorial Day, the Vietnam War has been chronicled on every station since it has been 50 years since its end. As one commentator said these veterans have largely been forgotten until recently. They have been swept under the rug like a dirty little secret. But like my sweet husband, my brother Jon Lee Tyson and my brother-in-law Edward Louis Seaton, there are thousands of good, heroic and patriotic men who served and many died so that we can be free. Give your Grandpa, your dad or brother a call, thank them for their sacrifice and make their day.
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