My dad was drafted into the army after college. It was during the time of Vietnam. After basic and advanced training, orders for each soldier’s next assignment were posted on a bulletin board outside of their barracks. “Vietnam” was printed on the sheet, with thousands of names listed underneath it. After that, it said “Germany.” Two people were listed, and my dad was one of them.
I recently visited The Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial in Washington, DC. The walls were thinner and shorter than I thought they’d be, but still, the amount of names was sobering. Someone had left note cards at the base of the wall with info on select soldiers: their picture, their name, where they were from, how old they were when they died. 20, 21, 24… I’ve heard the statistics before, but the older I get, the harder it is to imagine dying so young. I kept thinking how lucky he was, not to end up a name on that wall. For those of us who know him, we are lucky, too! Happy Father’s Day!
Photo: azaleas at BP gas station, Galax, VA