Humanities & Classics 3270
|
|
Sixties Forum
Humanities & Classics 3270 |
    |
|
In Reply to: Re: War posted by Liz McLaughlin on May 12, 1998 at 14:37:46:
:I thank you personally for the story Liz, and I can understand where you come from. I also have a story that relates to the loss of war and what it can do to people, and also ties stranglt into the big chill, which is what reminded me of it in the first place..
Now, for as long as I can remember, my great uncle Edwin Kauppinen was a happy man, or so I thought. Maybe that's what everyone wanted me to believe. My uncle Edwin was in the Marines during World War II, he fought in and survived the battle of the bulge, and this went on to scar him in more ways than I could possibly imagine. My parents tell me stories he had told them about the war, how twice he was saved by one of those olive drab helmets when bullets dented instead of penetrated, how supplies and water were cut off so the men had to fight with knives and hands and sticks and rocks and God knows wat else, how the thirst got so great that the men drank their own urine, and about the dead everywhere and the rivers of blood and gore. I also went on to learn that he hadn't had a good night's sleep in 40 years, and I have no problem seeing why. My uncle came back from the war with several medals amongst the hoopla, and he was a proud patriotic man that at the same time had a difficult time living with himself for what he had done, where he had been, what he had seen, and why on earth he had volunteered to go and see and do. He was a patriot tried and true though, and said that his country had called, and he had answered, right or wrong, there was no going back. But things changed. For one, he couldn't sleep,just about every night for 40 long years, my aunt Liisa says, he would wake up in a cold sweat, he also swore he would never own or fire a gun again, and to his dying day I guess he never did. He didn't hunt or even fish, but he would go on walks to admire life in it's fullness. I always wanted to learn his stories firsthand, on my way to Duluth I would pass their house, always meaning to stop but always having "something to do, maybe next time.." I wanted to taslk to him about my family and about the war, as he would always share the war experiences he had with anyone that would listen, and I never did get around to it. My great uncle Edwin died about a week and a half ago, and I missed my chance to ever be able to talk to him and listen.
That brings to my sad mind a question, why does someone need to die sometimes for a family to get together or as in the movie a friend had to die to bring old friends together. Isn't there a better way? Sure family reunions work sometimes, but does everyone ever show up? Not in my family, I saw relatives I haven't seen since my Grandfather died. I think the question always boils down to time. When someone is around, there's a feeling that time is forever, I won't go to the reunion this year or stop to see someone because I can do it some other time, I'll make time. Well, maybe time is forever and what people are or were is forever, but being able to see or talk to someone in the flesh is not forever. I just want to say that to everyone who may think like I once did. Spend time with people you love, especially the elderly family members, or even an old pet that's been dear to you. Spend time wisely, because no money in the world can replace time well spent. Sorry to get so long winded and such, but I wanted to relay the message. If you made it through this thank you.