Memorial Day
I'm thinking about my gramps today. I wish Montana wasn't so far away so I could swing by and clean up his grave and give some flowers.
I always knew my gramps was in the army. My grandparents would fly up to Kenai on standby on military flights, and Gramps would go to the PX in Anchorage and buy steaks, etc. to bring down for a cookout each summer. I would also hear stories about the army, and how whenever Gramps got called home for an emergency, he'd bring a lieutenant with him. I knew my mom went to high school at Dugway Proving Grounds, and that my Gramps was a hospital administrator at Bassett Army Hospital in Fairbanks.
One summer after I had started teaching, I went down to Helena to stay with my grandparents for a few weeks and do some chores around the house for them. While I was there, two World War 2 planes were scheduled to fly into town. Gramps asked if I would go with him, so we went to the airport to see them and then to Perkins for lunch. While I was there, I asked Gramps about the war.
I wish I could remember everything we talked about that day. I remember some things. I remember Gramps telling me he was 4F because of his eyes and he finally had to beg the dr to let him into the army. He told me about driving an ambulance to pick up wounded on the battle field, and how he put his red cross helmet on a wounded German who then got shot in the head. He said that Red Cross was a target, but he always felt bad about that. He told me about going to a concentration camp - I so wish I could remember which one - and seeing the walking skeletons and not being able to believe what he was seeing. He told me about being in the freezing cold, trying to stay warm while a battle raged all around him. He said the good thing about the cold was that if you were wounded, you didn't bleed out so fast. He told me that he had nightmares about the war for years after he returned, and that Grammie and the kids never asked him about it. I asked Grammie and she said that all the families were told back then to not talk about the war when the soldiers returned, but that Gramps would wake up screaming and sweating in the night and that she would hold him while he cried. Gramps told me that he was telling me things he'd never told anyone. I wish I could remember everything we talked about that day.
I asked Grammie about the war, and her stories were different. She said that she lived with Elsa Flint, and that Elsa's dad (uncle? someone?) lived in the country and that he'd come in during the night and bring them meat. Meat was rationed, so they would sneak it in during the dark. When my Grammie passed away, in her stuff that came to Oregon were old ration books and comic books (obvious propaganda) about the evil Germans. Grammie said that Gramps didn't know that mom was born for a couple of months.
The other thing I remember talking to Gramps about was Vietnam. He said he didn't support that war. I asked him what he would have done had Jack or Jeff been called up in a draft and he told he he's send them to Canada. I couldn't believe that he said that, and I remember thinking that Gramps was complicated.
So today I am thankful for my Gramps, and for the other veterans. Even when I don't support the actions of my government, I support the men and women who are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for my country.
I always knew my gramps was in the army. My grandparents would fly up to Kenai on standby on military flights, and Gramps would go to the PX in Anchorage and buy steaks, etc. to bring down for a cookout each summer. I would also hear stories about the army, and how whenever Gramps got called home for an emergency, he'd bring a lieutenant with him. I knew my mom went to high school at Dugway Proving Grounds, and that my Gramps was a hospital administrator at Bassett Army Hospital in Fairbanks.
One summer after I had started teaching, I went down to Helena to stay with my grandparents for a few weeks and do some chores around the house for them. While I was there, two World War 2 planes were scheduled to fly into town. Gramps asked if I would go with him, so we went to the airport to see them and then to Perkins for lunch. While I was there, I asked Gramps about the war.
I wish I could remember everything we talked about that day. I remember some things. I remember Gramps telling me he was 4F because of his eyes and he finally had to beg the dr to let him into the army. He told me about driving an ambulance to pick up wounded on the battle field, and how he put his red cross helmet on a wounded German who then got shot in the head. He said that Red Cross was a target, but he always felt bad about that. He told me about going to a concentration camp - I so wish I could remember which one - and seeing the walking skeletons and not being able to believe what he was seeing. He told me about being in the freezing cold, trying to stay warm while a battle raged all around him. He said the good thing about the cold was that if you were wounded, you didn't bleed out so fast. He told me that he had nightmares about the war for years after he returned, and that Grammie and the kids never asked him about it. I asked Grammie and she said that all the families were told back then to not talk about the war when the soldiers returned, but that Gramps would wake up screaming and sweating in the night and that she would hold him while he cried. Gramps told me that he was telling me things he'd never told anyone. I wish I could remember everything we talked about that day.
I asked Grammie about the war, and her stories were different. She said that she lived with Elsa Flint, and that Elsa's dad (uncle? someone?) lived in the country and that he'd come in during the night and bring them meat. Meat was rationed, so they would sneak it in during the dark. When my Grammie passed away, in her stuff that came to Oregon were old ration books and comic books (obvious propaganda) about the evil Germans. Grammie said that Gramps didn't know that mom was born for a couple of months.
The other thing I remember talking to Gramps about was Vietnam. He said he didn't support that war. I asked him what he would have done had Jack or Jeff been called up in a draft and he told he he's send them to Canada. I couldn't believe that he said that, and I remember thinking that Gramps was complicated.
So today I am thankful for my Gramps, and for the other veterans. Even when I don't support the actions of my government, I support the men and women who are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for my country.
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