One small story my mother used to tell us when we were young illuminated my father in a way that no other story had before. Before I was born, in the very first few years of their marriage, my parents lived in a small apartment above a Laundromat in Perrysburg. It would have been either 1972 or 1973 and my dad was probably 4 or 5 years removed from his time in Vietnam. One night they were sleeping in bed when my mother woke to him tossing and making noise in his sleep. Figuring he was having a nightmare, she attempted to wake him up. From the depths of his dream he grabbed her by the neck and pushed her against the wall, pinning her there and warning her not to move a muscle. It took him a few moments to come to his senses and realize where he was and when he came to, he let go of my mother and of course, felt terrible about it.
I have no doubt that my father probably suffered from a depression after fighting in Vietnam. He never talked about the war and he never specifically answered my questions about his actions. When I asked him if he was ever in battle he would say yes... had he ever killed anyone...? "I'm sure my bullets were in there." This speaks volumes. At some point, my dad was probably diving for cover, then assuming a firing position, finding the sparks coming from the forest, then pulling the trigger, hoping he was sending bullets in the right direction. A boy from a family of 7, grown up playing basketball and baseball, from small town USA, thrust into bloody combat. The thought must have occurred to him that he might not make it out of this mess, that he might be overrun.
I wish there was some kind of salve, some healing rub, to heal those kinds of wounds. I wish men and women didn't have to see such awful things. I hope that veterans from all walks of life find peace. I hope we all do. Mostly, I hope I was a good son to my dad.
Thank you for sharing this one memory of your Dad. He paid a high price to his country. You were an awesome Son to your Dad!! A smile like no other, and a gleam in his eye is what you would see on your Dad's face when speaking of You and Tana!! You have honored your Dad in the best way a Son could honor his Dad. You have active in your life currently, the traits that were so important to your Dad. Loyalty, standing up for what you believe, loving your wife and family, being the best you can be in wherever life finds you, and of course, you always include the humor your Dad always had in everything. Again, thanks for sharing. Sincerely, Aunt Paula
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