Sentimental Sunday The Hero Helped Vietnam Refugees

The Hero 

This will not give exact dates, as I do not have them. They are in the Hero's Journals that were lost.
The Hero was in the Reserve Army Medical Corps.    In 1975-1976 Fort Chaffee became one of the processing camps for the refugees from Vietnam after the war.  The Hero's troop was one of the many that rotated through to assist in the medical screenings and treatments for them.  
He enjoyed this time and developed great respect for those that he met while working there.  He often would wonder what happened to them and if his troop had helped any.
In the late 80's, he was going to a dental school to have his teeth done.  The student who drew him for the dental work was oriental.  He asked her where she was from. When she told him that she was from Vietnam, he told her about his experience.  Lo and Behold.  It turned out she was there with her mother at the exact same time as he had been.  She said that the Army troops had been very nice and she was so thankful she had been given the chance to come here from Vietnam with her mother.
I wish I had his journals because he wrote her name and the special feelings it gave him that he had been a part of this young lady being able to be in this great country and learning a profession, which she probably would not have been able to do back at Vietnam.  They had wonderful conversations about her experiences when he went to have his teeth done.   It was sad when she moved on to other classes and was no longer his student dentist.  She knew he wished her all the best.
The Hero was a part of history.

Sentimental Sunday The Hero Was Thoughtful to the End

Have been avoiding writing about the Hero's last months, but as I have been following FootNoteMaven 's challenges as her husband is recovering from a heart attack  the memories have flooded back.  It is not quite the same because the Hero had col-rectal cancer and the end was creeping in.

I was so blessed by his thoughtfulness.  It was hard to let him go, but it was understood by him and me that it was going to be a temporary separation.  He knew I didn't want him to go, but knew it was going to happen.

When Maven was talking about Mr Maven telling her he loved her through the C-Pap mask.  I was taken back to a time when I was draining the fluids out of the Hero's chest with a vacuum bottle.  It had to have hurt just my moving the chest tube around, but he looked at me through the oxygen mask and said... with a smile, "I love you".  I love him too.

The Hero with two grandchildren 

After his death, two of his friends shared stories of things he had said to them.  One had asked him if he felt like Job because of a chain of events he had experienced. He told him no, that he had a personal angel with him that loved him that Job didn't have.  (You know how that made me feel)

The other friend said they had been joking while he was watching the Hero so I could go to the store.  All of a sudden the Hero stopped and said "She has been an angel to me. I love her."  

These were little gifts he left me that I hold on to, knowing one day I will see him again.  

I am able to talk about this a little at a time now, it is not easy, but I need to begin opening that door.

Sentimental Sunday... The Hero Made Sure His Grandsons Were Texan

When my daughter was pregnant with her last child, the Hero was distraught that his grandchild was going to be born in Idaho, not Texas.  (oh mercy).  When she discovered, she was having twins. He was really beside himself, and began to scheme.
In his mind, if they were born over Texas soil then they would still be Texans.  This was important for him.  He decided he would send a bag of Texas soil to them.  Redbeard could put the bag on the floor, then they would be born over Texas soil. 
When I went up to stay and help the month before they were born he made sure the bag of soil was in my suitcase.  He extracted a promise from the couple that they would do as he asked.  They were game,  Redbeard thought it would be fun.

The twins were born over the bag of Texas soil.  Redbeard was so excited when he looked out their hospital window and saw the Texas Flag flying over the Texas Roadhouse on the next block.



This should have been enough for the Hero, but no... He wrote to the Governor Rick Perry's office and told them about the soil, the flag, and asked if they could be made honorary Texas Citizens.  Lo and Behold...   They said yes, and sent certificates to the twins.
They are honorary Texans to carry out their grandfather's wishes that they be born as close to Texas as he could get them.

Got Dirt?

This is not the bag, but it is just like what he sent.  He was so funny.

Sentimental Sunday... The Hero and an Orange Bus story finished.

The rest of the story...
We started back to Texas from Vernal, UT.  The Hero was stressed because it had taken so long to get the bus running that he was 2 days late starting back.  His decision was to not stop.  That he would drive as far as he could then I would drive and vice versa.  I figured sure why not. 
As we dropped down to moved off the mountain roads to Interstate 70 in Colorado,  the Hero advised me to lie down with the baby.  He would drive as long as he could.  This was not unusual, so I went to sleep with the baby.

Eisenhower Tunnel Colorado

I am not sure how long I slept, but I was a wakened by the sound of big trucks, and motorcycles, and flashing lights.  I sat up and saw what I heard flying by our VW bus.  I was overwhelmed. "What is happening? I feel like I am in a Start Trek movie at warp speed." I called to the Hero in the front. 
He started laughing.  "We are in the Eisenhower Tunnel.  I am gearing down to keep from going too fast." 
I felt like I had just entered panic mode.  (I will digress here and explain an old VW bus's brakes.  Not so hot.  We did not have power disc brakes.  This was a do it yourself-er. I tried to find an explanation on the internet, but failed.  Suffice it to say, our main holding brake system was the emergency brake.  Oh that is another story... shifting on a hill.)
I was now wide awake and shifted up to sit by the Hero in front.  Panic set in that our baby was in the back asleep on the bed and we were plummeting down this tunnel.  I could not see an opening ahead.  The 18 wheelers were petrifying me.  I was amazed at how in control the Hero was.  He concentrated on the keeping the speed within manageable range by downshifting.  He did not ride the brakes as I would have.  I do have to say, he had driven big Mack trucks for their cement company, so he was familiar with using gears.  On the other hand, he had not driven in the mountains in a truck. 
Finally after what seemed forever, we came out of the tunnel.  The road evened out and I could breath.  Now I am thankful for the tunnel it makes travel easier, at that time I was not so sure.  I thought it was insanity.
When we arrived at Denver, the Hero was exhausted.  I was not well rested (no duh), so we found a rest stop to pull over at and slept for the rest of the night.

It was fine, and he was my Hero.

Sentimental Sunday... The Hero and Our First Orange Bus Trip

We were on a trip to Louisiana for the company.  The meetings were over late.  We did not relish driving back to Houston late at night, but it was needful.

Off we started, I was in the shot gun seat reading to the Hero.  This was our usual method of traveling.  He drove and I read.  Reason, he was auditory and I was visual.  We were traveling down a two lane road.  It became slow because we came upon a couple of trucks. We had a CB going and he began listening to their chatter.  Finally, he became tired watching their lights and decided to pass.  As he pulled out, the trucks started parting on the road, he slowed down wondering what was going on. Luckily he did, because he saw two glowing eyes ahead. The truckers started whooping and hollering "Did you see that? Black as night and huge!"  The Hero joined in with "thought it was going to be hamburgers tonight".  They all joked back and forth for a little.  A herd of Angus cattle were strewn across the road. Somehow the truckers and the Hero had managed to wind through them and none were hit, a miracle with them traveling down the road at 55+ mph.   We were shaken, but grateful that we came through unscathed.  This was a memorable night for the Hero. A story he told several times. 

Lesson grandchildren... Pay attention when you are driving, you never know what may be ahead especially late at night when you can not see well.  If you feel you should slow down, listen and do so, it could save your life and others.

Sentimental Sunday... The Hero and Memorial Day

The Hero was proud of having served as a medic in the 4005th Army Medical Corp. He never missed any of his Reserve meetings and loved serving, missed us; but loved serving during the summer.  A favorite story of the family about the Hero was when I was delivering our 4th child.  It was a long labor, and I was really tired.  My doctor, Robert Campbell,  had served in Viet Nam War as a medic and then finished his medical degree while in the army.  There they were "coaching" me (yeah right), I was drifting in and out with labor pains, and they were swapping medic stories.  I would reach up and pat his hand and say...'Hey, a little help here.'  They would laugh say a few encouraging words, then go back to their stories.  (I still laugh about it.) You have to love them.
His father and grandfathers before him could not serve because of health reasons.
When we were studying his mom's ancestors, he was excited to find in the 1840's two of his ancestors fought and died in the Mexican War.  During the Civil War, his great great grandfather fought for the South.  He unfortunately caught typhoid and died in 1864. 
He was fascinated with the whys of war and the dynamics of war.  I have told you when we went to the Genealogy Libraries together, he would find a book to study the how and why things happened.  I am just learning that side of genealogy. 
When the National Anthem would start, he would be one of the first on his feet with a salute.  When the Pledge of Allegiance was said, he would sound out loud and clear with his  hand over his heart. He was a patriot. He believed in his country and all it stood for.  If he had been asked to, he would have fought for it.
Grandchildren, your granddadE upheld our country and your ancestors fought battles for our country to leave you a better place to live in.  Don't take it lightly.

Sentimental Sunday... The Hero Got a Hair Cut...

Well, sort of. 

The 18th was the 35th anniversary of our Temple Sealing.  We traveled in an old volkswagen bus from Houston to Mesa, AZ to have the sealing performed in the LDS Mesa Temple.  Have I said we were broke before. Well it was true.  We had saved up for the trip and there wasn't a lot of spare money. 

When we arrived the day before, we camped at a KOA camp ground.  The Hero decided to save money by me cutting his hair, because it was a little long.  It shouldn't be a problem, just a few clips.  Did I tell you the wind was blowing?  It was.  He sat on a lawn chair and I stood behind, took a deep breath and commenced to start trimming. Unfortunately when I pulled up a piece in the back the wind when whoosh and I went whack at the wrong place.  Uh oh... He says "what?"  gulp... "maybe you need to run by a barber shop while I watch Texasblu."  A little concerned now, but still cool.  "Okay, be back in a little while."
Texasblu and Little Miss Sunshine and I all played and read together until he returned.  I must say I was a bit apprehensive.  I was wondering if he would come back bald.  About an hour later, we heard the VW drive up.  I peeked out. Whew, he had hair, and , lo and behold, a big grin on his face. 
After a hug, he laughingly told me about his barber shop visit.  As the barber was putting the protective apron on him, the barber asked "Who's been chewing on your hair?"  The Hero laughed and told him what had happened, with a bit of excuse thrown in about the wind for my benefit.  The barber laughed and said I thought so, you would be surprised how many hair cuts we have to "fix". 
It all turned out well, the hair cut was short but not bald, and it gave the Hero a fun story to tell our future boys about his "chewed" hair cut. (Glad I could be of service.)  Nice to have a man with a sense of humor.