Unseen Veteran, The

To understand military life, or what it feels like to be the proud wife of a soldier, you need to experience it.

One day he was here and now he is gone. . . . He isn’t beside me in bed. . . . His scent slowly fades, as does the memory of his face. . . . I can barely remember the familiar sounds of him at home. I long for comfort when I have a nightmare. I want him to hold me. I wait for those comforting letters or the phone calls that come after three months of silence.

Now, I look upon single parents in awe . . . and I learn to do what they do, until my husband comes home. I don’t need a man to put a crib together, to take care of the car or to take out the trash. I have learned to be empathetic. I have become self-sufficient.

And even though these are wonderful things, I would give up everything that I have learned to bring him home right now.

When I think that I cannot go on, I rely on my routine so that I can support my husband while he defends our freedom. And I know that I am not the only one.

I am an unseen veteran. So are all the other military spouses out there. We have different battlefields. Our maps have pins in the countries of worry, heartache and loneliness. Our battles will end when our husbands are in our arms again. Until that day, I say thank you to all the invisible soldiers who are there for each other, who are there for me. We lend a strong shoulder when needed, and we keep up the brave front at home. The war could not be won without us.

Reprinted by permission of Amanda Legg (c) 2004 from Chicken Soup for the Military Wife’s Soul by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Charles Preston and Cindy Pedersen. In order to protect the rights of the copyright holder, no portion of this publication may be reproduced without prior written consent. All rights reserved.

U.S.S. Columbia

I spent three years aboard the U.S.S. Columbia in the South
Pacific during World War II. One night I woke up at 3:00 A.M.
and could not get back to sleep. So I got out of my bunk,
went to my locker, and found a pen, paper and my checkbook.
I wrote a letter to my pastor and enclosed a check. I asked
him to cash it and give the money to a woman who had been my
Sunday school teacher when I was a boy. I knew she was
bedridden, because I had visited her from time to time when
I was ashore.

The next day, after mailing the letter, I had second
thoughts. In fact, I was embarrassed. What on earth had
possessed me to get up in the middle of the night and do such
a thing? I had been praying for guidance about tithing, but
this hardly seemed like an answer. It was six weeks before I
heard from my pastor. “Jack,” he wrote, “when I arrived at
Mrs. B’s house with the money, I learned it was the exact
amount she needed for a new hearing aid she had ordered COD
- but now couldn’t afford. Without your gift, the post
office would have had to return it to the sender.”

Suddenly I knew what – or rather Who – made me do what I did.

Jack Reynolds, Santa Cruz, California, GUIDEPOSTS, January 1993

Poem: Columbus Day – Christopher Columbus (sailed)

Meish Goldish

Columbus sailed over the ocean,
Columbus sailed over the sea,
Columbus sailed over the ocean,
An eager explorer was he!

In Spain, many people were laughing.
They said, “He’ll fall flat off the earth!”
Columbus said, “I’ll find the Indies!”
And sailed on for all he was worth!

Columbus soon came to an island,
With Native Americans there.
Columbus had sailed to the New World,
And so he explored everywhere!

Columbus did not find the Indies,
But land others found long before.
But still we remember Columbus,
Who followed his dream to explore!

Poem: The Silent Ranks

I wear no uniforms, no blues or army greens.
But I am in the military in the ranks rarely seen.
I have no rank upon my shoulders. Salutes I do not give.
But the military world is the place where I live.

I’m not in the chain of command, orders I do not get.
But my husband is the one who does, this I can not forget.
I’m not the one who fires the weapon, who puts my life on the line.
But my job is just as tough. I’m the one that’s left behind.

My husband is a patriot, a brave and prideful man.
and the call to serve his country not all can understand.
Behind the lines I see the things needed to keep this country free.
My husband makes the sacrifice, but so do our kids and me.

I love the man I married. Soldiering is his life.
But I stand among the silent ranks known as the Military Wife.

Author Unknown

Lady, The

by Joseph Yosuk Lee

“Oh! She is so tall,” I said excitedly. It has been several years
since I made that observation. I still remember the beautiful sky
and the shining waters at Ellis Island on that day in 1978. As
our ferry approached, my family could see her waving proudly
through the mists of the clouds.

When our ferry docked on her island, I hurriedly pushed to
get off the tiny boat. As I ran, I looked up and saw her sullen
face. It was a hot day. When I realized that my parents were
planning to go up in the Lady, fear gripped my heart.

“Mom, I don’t want to climb to the top. Seeing her outside
is good enough,” I whined childishly.

“Yoosoga, [my Korean name] it will be beautiful up there.
You can see America through her… through her eyes,” my
mother said in her softest tone.

“I saw America already when we drove from Tennessee to
get here to New York City.”

Then my brother said, “I want to go! I am not scared,
Mommy! I will go up. I will go up and meet the Lady face to
face.”

“Yoosoga, Youngsogee is willing to go up. Why don’t you
go too?” my mother challenged.

“You asked for it!” I hissed at my brother.

My parents threatened to leave me behind; I was terrified
of being left out so I sadly agreed to the ascent. I had a few
minutes more before I entered the stairway for the dizzying
climb. My parents went into the little museum and I followed
as if in a daze. In the museum the pictures showed that
the Lady was born in France. I had not known that. Probably
she applied for a visa to come to the United States as my
parents had. At the time of our visit, she was almost 100
years old. As my family went around the museum, we
stopped by a fountain. My brother and I begged our dad to
throw a penny in for good luck. My dad said that it was a
waste of money, but he did it anyway. I wished fervently that
the entire group of people could be diverted from making the
climb, but finally we were going. I tried to buy time.

“How high is the Lady?”

“Very high,” said our guide.

“Has anybody ever fallen off?” I wondered aloud.

“Yes,” he said a little sarcastically.

“Did they die?” I asked in fear.

“Oh, yes! Many people were killed once because everybody
fell on each other,” he said trying to be humorous.

“Ohh…,” I moaned in a low tone. Later my mother, becoming
embarrassed by my stupid questions, commanded me to stay
near the family.

As we climbed the stairways, sweat dripped off my face. It
was steamy and hot inside. I could not breathe! I begged
my mother to let me stay at the bottom, but she said, “You
can’t go down, Yoosa-ga. You must go up.”

“Mommy, would you hold me if I were going to fall?” I
pleaded.

“Yes, of course, I would hold you. Don’t worry,” my
mother assured me.

Climbing like a puppy on all fours, I asked a stranger,
“How much further?”

He replied, “Halfway there!”

“Oh, it is so far!” my heart whispered.

As my legs trembled, my clothes were dampened by
my sweat. If I fall, many will die. If someone falls on me,
I’ll still die. Either way, I’m a goner. As I reached this
splendid deduction, my legs became paralyzed on the
stairs. My mother saw my rigor mortis stance.

“Mommy, I can’t go on. I’m scared! I want to go down,” I
said.

I had failed. I was scared and ashamed. There I was,
frozen on those stairs, holding up a group of people,
embarrassing my family.

Someone spoke to me as if in a barrel. I shook my head
to throw off my fright. “Little boy,” the voice repeated, for
away. I saw a strange man three steps higher than myself,
extending me a hand.

“Come on,” he said, “you can do it.” A chorus of voices
behind him soon turned into a cheering section.

I tried to conquer my fear. “Come on,” they cheered. I inched
one step further. And another step. And another. I felt like
the star quarterback running for a touchdown. Step by step,
I reached for the zero yard line and the crowd roared. I felt a
brush of fresh cold air on my face. I looked around and saw
the Lady face to face.

On an impulse, I kissed the forehead of the Lady. I saw in the
reflection of her eyes an America which I had never seen before.
A group of people who had been strangers were now my friends.
I saw America full of hopes, pride, opportunity, freedom, justice
and especially liberty at that time. I saw America through her
eyes.

Cats and Dogs

It was raining “cats and dogs” and I was late for physical training. Traffic
was backed up
at Fort Campbell, Ky., and was moving way too slowly. I was probably going
to be late and
I was growing more and more impatient.
The pace slowed almost to a standstill as I passed Memorial Grove,
the site built to honor
the soldiers who died in the Gander airplane crash, the worst redeployment
accident in the
history of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault).
Because it was close to Memorial Day, a small American flag had been
placed in the ground
next to each soldier’s memorial plaque.
My concern at the time, however, was getting past the bottleneck,
getting out of the rain
and getting to PT on time.
All of a sudden, infuriatingly, just as the traffic was getting
started again, the car in front
of me stopped. A soldier, a private of course, jumped out in the pouring
rain and ran over
toward the grove.
I couldn’t believe it! This knucklehead was holding up everyone for
who knows what kind
of prank. Horns were honking. I waited to see the butt-chewing that I wanted
him to get for
making me late.
He was getting soaked to the skin. His BDUs were plastered to his
frame. I watched – as
he ran up to one of the memorial plaques, picked up the small American flag
that had fallen to
the ground in the wind and the rain, and set it upright again.
Then, slowly, he came to attention, saluted, ran back to his car,
and drove off.
I’ll never forget that incident. That soldier, whose name I will
never know, taught me more
about duty, honor, and respect than a hundred books or a thousand lectures.
That simple salute — that single act of honoring his fallen brother
and his flag –
encapsulated all the Army values in one gesture for me. It said, “I will ever forget.
I will keep the faith. I will finish the mission. I am an American soldier.”
I thank God for examples like that. nd on this Memorial Day, I will remember all those who paid the ltimate price for my freedom,and one private, soaked to the skin, who honored them.

– Written by Army Captain John Rasmussen

Poem: Future Plans

Harriette Wilburr Porter

My brothers and their playmates all
Keep planning what they’ll do
When they are very big and strong
And educated, too.

John plans to be an engineer,
And Carl a pastry cook.
And George will go to practice law,
And Ben will write a book.

Tom says he’ll be a carpenter.
Don wants to be a cop.
And Bob will keep a grocery store
Or else a candy shop.

They’re all so full of business plans
They won’t have time to be
The president in Washington -
Which leaves that job for me!

Poem: Columbus Day – In 1492

In fourteen hundred ninety-two
Columbus sailed the ocean blue.

He had three ships and left from Spain;
He sailed through sunshine, wind and rain.

He sailed by night; he sailed by day;
He used the stars to find his way.

A compass also helped him know
How to find the way to go.

Ninety sailors were on board;
Some men worked while others snored.

Then the workers went to sleep;
And others watched the ocean deep.

Day after day they looked for land;
They dreamed of trees and rocks and sand.

October 12 their dream came true,
You never saw a happier crew!

“Indians! Indians!” Columbus cried;
His heart was filled with joyful pride.

But “India” the land was not;
It was the Bahamas, and it was hot.

The Arawak natives were very nice;
They gave the sailors food and spice.

Columbus sailed on to find some gold
To bring back home, as he’d been told.

He made the trip again and again,
Trading gold to bring to Spain.

The first American? No, not quite.
But Columbus was brave, and he was bright.

Poem: Columbus Day – A New World

by Alice Crowell Hoffman

Columbus found a new world
Because he dared to do
A thing that was unheard of-
A thing that was quite new.
Columbus found a new world
Because he made a start,
Instead of merely pond’ring o’er
The thoughts within his heart.
Columbus found a new world
Because he saw things through
And you can find your new world
Precisely that way, too.

Poem: Columbus Day – Christopher Columbus (was one)

Meish Goldish

Christopher Columbus was one of a kind.
A way to the Indies he wanted to find.
People said, “Chris, you’ll never succeed.”
But he had a plan, he had a need.

Sailing from Spain was Chris’ idea,
On the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria.
People said, “Chris, you’ll fall off the earth.”
But he followed his dream for all it was worth.

The year was 1492
When Columbus set off with an eager crew.
People said, “Chris, you’ll never reach land.”
But on he sailed, just as planned.

Two months later, an island was found.
There were Native Americans all around.
Chris and his crew began to explore
What the Indians discovered long before.

Chris didn’t know the trip he led
Was not to the Indies, but America instead!
Even so, he gained such fame
That now the whole world knows his name!

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