A Young Man's Life

Dean_Gretsch

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In 1967, a 5 year old boy traveled with his parents and sisters to visit a cousin he'd never met before and would never get the opportunity to meet again. The cousin lay in a box, under an American flag, surrounded by beautiful flowers and wailing people. The boy had never been to the faraway land that had taken the life of this twenty year old, but he would hear the name over the next several years as his family watched the evening news every night and studied the photos and film each night provided.
52 years later, the man who was this boy stands before a long, black wall with over 58,000 stark, white names representing lost souls that were the cousin's brethren. A somber crowd joins the man that stood before the coffin as a boy, searching the panels for the name of their family member or a pal that was not as fortunate as they and had also made their way home in one of those flag-draped boxes of their own.

I was William
William.jpg

Searching
Framed.jpg
 
Thank you both. That funeral left a lasting impression on me, even though I was so young. I have to say, if the traveling wall comes close to you, make an effort to go see it, even if you know no ones name on it.
 
Shortly after the Vietnam Veterans Memorial opened in Washington, we took the kids (early teens) as we walked up I remember that they weren't overly impressed, but as we got closer and the names came in focus, the enormity of loss overwhelms you. It was an eye opener for them to have a physical aspect applied to the numbers.

Thanks for sharing Dean, we must never forget the sacrifices of all our veterans.
 
so beautiful and such a great tribute..
 

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