A Life-Changing Moment

2015-03-25T06:50:50-04:00

Perhaps one of the most poignant moments of my military career took place in the Summer of 1993 at the Vietnam Memorial in Washington DC. Although I have always had a great appreciation and respect for our Vietnam Vets, but after this experience I have seen them in a much different light and have come to esteem them even more deeply. This was a life-changer, and sort of an attitude adjustment in a manner of speaking.

I was visiting "The Wall" with my family. As we paused to take in the view, a gentleman with a clipboard wearing a baseball cap and a t-shirt with a Bronze Star Medal printed over the left breast approached our group. He introduced himself and told us that if we had any questions at all about the memorial that he would be more than happy to answer them for us. Having been awarded with a Bronze Star myself from Operation Desert Storm, I was drawn to his t-shirt and asked him if he had received his in Vietnam. "Yes I did," he said. Then I told him that I had received one in Desert Storm. With that, he placed his clipboard on the ground and wrapped his arms around me and said, "Welcome home, brother."

It is difficult for me to put this moment into words...there is just so much that happened to me all at once. But for the first time in my life I could swear I could actually feel the pain in his soul which he must have felt upon his return from Vietnam. In that moment I remembered what great fanfare and celebration our Desert Storm Vets had enjoyed upon their return, and then images of our Vietnam Vets getting yelled at, cursed, spat upon, etc., when they arrived home to the land they loved and served. The utter bitterness which I felt deep in my soul on his behalf was obliterated by the genuine love and appreciation he demonstrated toward me in that moment. He had reconciled his own pain and was determined to do his part to make sure that those Vets who came after him would not have to live that awful experience. So here I was, a Senior Warrant Officer in my late-30s, suddenly overcome by emotions to the point of turning to jelly in the embrace of this excellent soldier who had gone before me, and I was blubbering like a child, uncontrollably. And this happened in the span of about 1 second...proud decorated Vet to a pile of jelly.

After a moment I became aware that I had probably become a spectacle, not only to my family, but to those around us within earshot and visual range. I looked around us and there was nobody nearby with dry eyes. This made it even more profound for me. I was a complete wreck all of a sudden. I could barely get my voice to work, but I did manage to thank him and said something to the affect of, "I know this comes far too late, Sir, but thank you for your service to our country and welcome home yourself."

Yep, that was definitely a life-changing experience for me. I have never thought about our Vietnam Vets, or looked upon them, the same way ever since that moment. It is very difficult to find the words to express my sincerest gratitude toward them.

Response by GySgt Wayne A. Ekblad made Mar 25 at 2015 8:52 AM

2015-03-25T08:52:44-04:00

A very moving story ... thanks for sharing! Semper fi ...

Response by MSgt Jamie Lyons made Mar 25 at 2015 9:47 AM

2015-03-25T09:47:21-04:00

Moving story and one I can relate to. I was stationed in the UK in th 1990's and somehow our squadron were chosen to participate in a ceremony honory the dead American soldiers entombed at a cemetery just outside of Cambridge. I was mad having to waste a day to go up there and place flags at the tombs in my Class A uniform. I was so ignorant and self absorbed with the detail I never knew what would hit me that day.

I arrived and promptly starting placing flags in front of the tombstones as directed without delay. Shortly into the detail I noticed the field covered with white cross headstones some of them in the star of David. I started to read some of them and noticed they were young. I mean really young 17, 18, 19 etc. I felt something knot up my stomach that I never felt before. I was in my mid 20's and here I was looking at a sea of dead American soldiers that were younger than I.

Shortly when our squadron finished DV's began arriving for the ceremony. I watched as older veterans placed wreaths at the wall. Some who were in wheelchairs even stood to salute their friends who were entombed. A wave of something came over me like a Mack truck and I drifted to the background. I must of had a weird look on my face as one of the older veterans was suddenly upon me. We held some small talk quietly as the ceremony continued. I won't go into details but I will share something he said to me that changed my life forever. He relayed to me that he was at the beaches of Normandy and said that beyond what we are shown in the movies or documentaries soldiers that stormed the beaches that June 6, 1944 didn't cry out for help or to God when they were being mowed down. But most called out for their moms. "Mom I want my mom." Or "Mom come help me." I started thinking back to all those ages I just saw on the tombstones and the tears began flowing uncontrollably. I couldn't stop it. My body quivered and the tears poured out. Even now as I type this story. When TAPS played to signify the end of the cermeony, I lost it and quickly ran to my car uncontrolably crying hard, harder than I ever had and I couldn't stop it. I grew up that day and it changed my life forever. Even today when I hear TAPS that same knot starts to grow inside me and my eyes water up again.

Here I was a young punk mad about having to put on my Class A's and miss a day at work but the soldiers before me would NEVER make it home. The veterans that were there were more than I could ever be. I was going home that day to my wife and kid, unlike those that were laying before me.

I grew up a whole lot that day as I realized how selfish, ignorant, naive and self absorbed I was. From that day forward I took my job and career more seriously. I stopped diving into buildings just before retreat. I stopped veterans and had coffee with them. I started calling all veterans regardless of rank sir and ma'am. I took the time to volunteer at all possible ceremonies honoring veterans. I knew my place and learned what a privilege it was to come after those that laid before me that day. Those images of the tombstones and the vets sitting there crying and saluting will NEVER leave me. I know I will never be as courageous as those soldiers but I hope that I did them proud in my 20 year career. May all veterans regardless of which war they served in and are laid to rest....may they rest in peace and may God continue to bless those still serving.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 25 at 2015 10:50 AM

2015-03-25T10:50:33-04:00

Great post, CW4 Larry Curtis. Vietnam Vets are awesome! Thank you all for your service!

Response by TSgt Nathan Harbour made Mar 25 at 2015 1:44 PM

2015-03-25T13:44:13-04:00

Thank you for sharing, I dont have any stories like this but I have been to DC and to Pearl Harbor and I am always over come with grief and pride.

Response by PO2 Michael Stinar made Mar 25 at 2015 2:02 PM

2015-03-25T14:02:41-04:00

What I'm about to say may come to be a surprise to some of you, and perhaps a farce to others, however - My Wife & I have explored EVERY possible explanation, avenue, and every plausible excuse as to what I'm about to state and I say. I have NO explanation, NO reasoning to what happened to us on this past Christmas Eve.

Let me start by explaining. My Wife & I were Re-Doing our Family Picture Board (My Wife's Face Book Background), and while we were taking that picture, I had my camera held in the “Horizontal Wide Screen” position as to capture the entire Board. What came out was a “Vertical” picture of our OLD board, with OLD Pictures, and at the center portion of the board and at the bottom left corner at the picture of my Wife & I with a Rose, is the image of our Lord Jesus Christ with his arms opened in bright purple. My Wife and I cannot explain where that image could have came from, we have NO picture in the house like that, it was NOT on the camera when I went to review it and I can NOT print it out.

With 1 press of the shutter, 2 pictures were printed on the SanDisk card, 1- of the Horizontal Board with the NEW pictures that came out very bad, and the Second a Vertical picture with our Old pictures on it and our Lord Jesus Christ with his Arms opened... Just for the information, I formatted the disc prior to taking the picture, so there was nothing on the disc at all in the beginning.......

I will let you see the picture and judge for yourself, any explanations are welcome, and we have NO picture in our house like that where it could have been a reflection of. My Wife & I have taken the picture to a Photo Specialist, and they have said that it is NO Overlap of another picture, that the picture taken is real and everything on it is legit, they covered every pixel on that picture and could not find any pixel out of place. We since have decided to take this as a Blessing, and have given thanks for the honor of this spiritual visit by the King, our Lord Jesus Christ on the most Holiest of nights, Christmas Eve.....

This will be the BEST Christmas we will EVER have, I just wanted to share it with you all, shortly after it's confirmation, we bowed down and gave thanks to Our Lord Jesus Christ for his spiritual Visit, we also gave thanks for living in a country that allows the Freedoms we enjoy & finally we prayed for ALL the Service Men & Women away from their families on that Christmas eve, that soon they would return safely to their families. I have to admit, I was a little hesitant at first to share this picture here, however after talking to my wife & reading others stories of Life changing Moments, I decided to post it here to share our Special Gift on this past Christmas Eve. Ever since that moment, we have been blessed in ways we cannot even believe, our sickness's have been healed after praying in a matter of 3 days, where normally when I get the flu - I am down for at least a week, our lives have Definitely Changed since Christmas Eve.

Response by SPC Jan Allbright, M.Sc., R.S. made Mar 26 at 2015 11:19 AM

2015-03-26T11:19:36-04:00

I had purposely stayed away from the Wall monument(s) as I had a pretty good seat during the show.

Last weekend I finally visited the Moving Wall when it was in a town near by.

It took me multiple attempts to actually close the distance to the 40W panel where 5 of my folks names are. The three days that comprised the last fight I was in covered the bottom 1/3 of the panel.

To see a statue of some unknown fighter commemorating a battle is one thing.

To see a list of names of people you had lunch with is something entirely different.

Response by SSgt Harvey "Skip" Porter made Nov 21 at 2017 9:23 PM

2017-11-21T21:23:36-05:00

Did any of you read the article in stars and stripes in regards to a VA study shows parasites from Vietnam may be killing Veterans that served there.

I suggest anyone that served in country there read this.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/parasite-from-vietnam-may-be-killing-vets/

Peace!

Slow-killing parasite from Vietnam may be killing veterans, VA study says

Test results show some men may have been infected while fighting in the jungles of Southeast Asia