semper fi
Today ends the heaviest week of my life in a very long time. Monday Jude and I had our water wheel repaired, completing the replacement of our off-grid energy system. Tuesday we signed off on our wills, making the transfer of our resources much easier for our families. Wednesday I got an all-clear from my dermatologist. Thursday we had our dogs thoroughly checked out by a new vet, who fortunately practices near enough to a Popeyes Chicken. Yesterday Jude ran her weekly SMART meeting while I stayed home and caught my breath.
Friday was also the Marine Corps birthday, so please join me this Veterans Day to hoist one for all those who served, especially Eddie Weekfall, a boot camp buddy of mine killed in Vietnam. The Marines were founded in Tun Tavern in Philadelphia in 1775, and the running joke is that we’ve never been very far from a bar since then.
I have struggled with my time in the Marines since being released from active duty in 1969. It took me years to make some peace with my PTSD from what I saw as a casualty reporter near the DMZ. Jude’s love and VA disability has saved me. And, quite recently, I have drawn much comfort from realizing that what I did over there was the start of the grieving process for the families back home.
We didn’t send out a corpse until he had been identified by dog tag and confirmation by at least two members of his unit. The only one we sent as a BTB (Believed To Be) was because we couldn’t find any of the tag on his neck chain. He’d been hit in the chest by an explosive device. Marines usually laced a second dog tag in a boot lace, but, inexplicably, he was barefoot. He didn’t have much face left. I have no idea what his family was told, but his name is not on the Wall.
The horrors in Palestine are particularly horrific to me because it triggers memories of the civilian casualties I saw in ‘nam. I’ll never forget the child, burned by napalm and trampled by water buffalo, who looked at me and smiled as he died. When will we ever learn?
Comments are closed.
Anchor Struck 
I regret that I never knew this…
I mentioned the BTB in a post in March 2011, but not any details. PTSD is a rowdy beast. Most days it stays in the shadows, but some days, like anniversaries, it’s roamin’ in the limen.
Thank you for sharing and may we all become more humane humans
You are most welcome.
AP-thanks for sharing, as you do regularly. You inspired me to finally do my FB posting for Veterans Day-one I have done pretty regularly since beginning FB during COVID. While I have told some of the family and friends stories in various posting around Veterans Day/Memorial Day, I seemed stuck this year for some reason-maybe because we had both an “observed holiday” celebrated yesterday with folks off work as well as the real NOV 11 occurring today. A lot of my FB friends post pix of their family members, mostly WWII but a few Korea and a trickle of Vietnam vets, with wonderful memories of those who served. I posted a picture of my dad, a picture posted several times in different contexts over the years. But my story of the evening is about your blog today. You struck deep to my soul as I read your words. I hope you do not mind that I shared some of your words with my FB friends- Selfishly didn’t want to wait to get your OK, as I wanted to be sure I could post today. Your memories, feelings and manner of expressing yourself begged me to share some of them. “When will we ever learn?” Not an original thought but a continually unanswered challenge we keep repeating in our greed, ignorance and self-delusion. Keep going, keep writing, keep me posted…semper fi
Peace, some day
JB
You used my comments in good faith and I appreciate it, JB. I trust your judgement explicitly.