My friend Kevin and I are volunteers at a national cemetery in Oklahoma and put in a few days a month in a "slightly larger" uniform.
Today had been a long, long day and I just wanted to get the day over with and go down to Smokey's and have a cold one. Sneaking a look at my watch, I saw the time, 16:55. Five minutes to go before the cemetery gates are closed for the day. Full dress was hot in the August sun. Oklahoma summertime was as bad as ever--the heat and humidity at the same level--both too high.
I saw the car pull into the drive, '69 or '70 model Cadillac Deville, looked factory-new. It pulled into the parking lot at a snail's pace. An old woman got out so slowly I thought she was paralyzed; she had a cane and a sheaf of flowers--about four or five bunches as best I could tell.
I couldn't help myself. The thought came unwanted, and left a slightly bitter taste: "She's going to spend an hour, and for this old Marine, my hip hurts like hell and I'm ready to get out of here right now!" But for this day, my duty was to assist anyone coming in.
Kevin would lock the 'In' gate and if I could hurry the old biddy along, we might make it to Smokey's in time.
I broke post attention. My hip made gritty noises when I took the first step and the pain went up a notch. I must have made a real military sight: middle-aged man with a small pot gut and half a limp, in Marine full-dress uniform, which had lost its razor crease about thirty minutes after I began the watch at the cemetery.
I stopped in front of her, halfway up the walk. She looked up at me with an old woman's squint.
"Ma'am, may I assist you in any way?"
She took long enough to answer.
"Yes, son. Can you carry these flowers? I seem to be moving a tad slow these days."
"My pleasure, ma'am." (Well, it wasn't too much of a lie.)
She looked again. "Marine, where were you stationed?:
"Vietnam, ma'am.. Ground-pounder. '69 to '71."
She looked at me closer. "Wounded in action, I see. Well done, Marine. I'll be as quick as I can."
I lied a little bigger: "No hurry, ma'am.:
She smiled and winked at me. "Son, I'm 85-years-old and I can tell a lie from a long way off. Let's get this done. Might be the last time I can do this. My name's Joanne Wieserman, and I've a few Marines I'd like to see one more time."
"Yes, ma 'am. At your service."
She headed for the World War I section, stopping at a stone. She picked one of the flower bunches out of my arm and laid it on top of the stone. She murmured something I couldn't quite make out. The name on the marble was Donald S. Davidson, USMC: France 1918.
She turned away and made a straight line for the World War II section, stopping at one stone. I saw a tear slowly tracking its way down her cheek. She put a bunch on a stone; the name was Stephen X.Davidson,
USMC, 1943.
She went up the row a ways and laid another bunch on a stone, Stanley J. Wieserman, USMC, 1944.
She paused for a second and more tears flowed. "Two more, son, and we'll be done."
I almost didn't say anything, but, "Yes, ma'am. Take your time."
She looked confused, "Where's the Vietnam section, son? I seem to have lost my way."
I pointed with my chin. "That way, ma'am."
"Oh!" she chuckled quietly. "Son, me and old age ain't too friendly."
She headed down the walk I'd pointed at. She stopped at a couple of stones before she found the ones she wanted. She placed a bunch on Larry Wieserman, USMC, 1968, and the last on Darrel Wieserman, USMC, 1970 . She stood there and murmured a few words I still couldn't make out and more tears flowed.
"OK, son, I'm finished. Get me back to my car and you can go home."
"Yes, ma'am. If I may ask, were those your kinfolk?"
She paused. "Yes, Donald Davidson was my father, Stephen was my uncle, Stanley was my husband, Larry and Darrel were our sons. All killed in action... all Marines."
She stopped! Whether she had finished, or couldn't finish, I don't know. She made her way to her car, slowly and painfully. I waited for a polite distance to come between us and then double-timed it over to Kevin, waiting by the car.
"Get to the 'Out' gate quick. I have something I've got to do."
Kevin started to say something, but saw the look I gave him. He broke the rules to get us there down the service road fast. We beat her. She hadn't made it around the rotunda yet.
"Kevin, stand at attention next to the gatepost. Follow my lead." I humped it across the drive to the other post.
When the Cadillac came puttering around from the hedges and began the short straight traverse to the gate, I called in my best gunny's voice, "TehenHut! Present Haaaarms!"
I have to hand it to Kevin; he never blinked an eye--full dress attention and a salute that would make his DI proud. She drove through that gate with two old worn-out Marines giving her a send-off she deserved, for service rendered to her country, and for knowing duty, honor and sacrifice far beyond the realm of most.
I am not sure, but I think I saw a salute returned from that Cadillac.
Instead of 'The End,' just think of 'Taps.'
Happy Memorial Day to all of those who have had a loved one or friend pay the ultimate price for America... for freedom... for us. And although it sounds so woefully inadequate, my sincere and heartfelt thanks to you and especially to your loved one!
4 comments:
Good post. We see the word "hero" often overused these days. I just finished reading "Flags of our Fathers" and the words of Iwo Jima flag raiser Jack Bradley to his son ring deeply. When asked about his role in that famous photo, he said, "I want you to remember something. The heroes of Iwo Jima are the guys who didn't come back."
This was from a brave corpsman awarded the Navy Cross.
I gratefully fly the flag of my Father-in-law every Memorial Day. He served in Patton's Third Army in the Battle of the Bulge and we are now the keepers of his flag, Bronze Star and Purple Heart.
Although he shared Bradley's sentiments, those men will always be heroes to me.
May God bless them and keep their souls in peace.
Really good post, T. Thanks for sharing!
Dubya, very well said, and I completely agree with your sentiments. It is men like your father-in-law that truly are heroes!
That is a touching story and a vivid reminder of how terribly many American families have sacrificed for our freedoms.
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