I remember joining the Army in 1968, straight out of high school with thoughts of going off to "war" and becoming the "hero" I saw on TV & in the movies. Make you laugh? Yeah, me too. After training I found myself in Vietnam as a Fire Artillery Fire Direction Spec-4 , two Purple Hearts later, several months in the hospital, I got off the plane back in the USA with a cane, not the "hero's" welcome shown in the movies, I noticed the looks mostly, the looks continued until I stepped out of the cab in front of 1811 Lombard St........I had not told anyone I was coming home.....I walked up the steps into house.....and into the waiting arms of Mom and Dad......I was home.......no parade......no bands.....but oh what a welcome......all the looks on the trip home faded and were replaced by love, tears, laughs, just plain happiness.
Fast forward October 1983, now a Field Artillery Captain, I found myself
on a plane full of 82d Airborne Division paratroopers bound for the Island of Grenada, a short rescue mission and freeing of that island nation later I was waiting to load on the plane home, I was told I was not going yet, I had been attached to another unit that was staying a little longer, I watched the rest load and fly away.
Back home, Fort Bragg, N.C.,
Brenda and the girls and other 82d Airborne families were all dressed up and waiting for the planes carrying their "heroes" to land. The flags were flying, the band was playing, there were cheers and shouts of joy, the tears flowing freeing, now that was a "hero's" welcome........Brenda waited......the girls straining to see......looking for their short paratrooper to come off the plane.....the last one came off.....not a short paratrooper......everything was over.... the bands departed.... the flags marched away.......the other families took their "heroes" home,......the Colonel assured her that I was ok and that he would find out where I was.....and that I had not been wounded or injured. A long walk to her car, knowing in her heart that God had assured her I was fine, but still concerned, thoughts flowing though her mind........My wait was not really that long, because after a few hours, it was decided that the unit I was attached to was heading home that day and we boarded the plane and we headed home. Of course when you are not with the main body of troops to come home, you land to an empty airfield, you could tell that something had taken place, we loaded into the back of a truck and rode quietly back to the headquarters of the unit to which I was attached, I got my rucksack and duffle bag, strapped them on my back, still in my combat uniform, I started walking back to my unit.......missed the parade.......missed the bands........missed the flags........missed the cheers.........
Remember, Brenda walking back to her car? Katie (Kaza) begin pulling and straining to pull away from Brenda.......Brenda trying to get her stop......Katie would not......breaking free and running.....Brenda looked up......readying to chase her.......Brenda started running also when she saw a loaded down short paratrooper running toward them.......her "hero" was home....... I ran into the waiting arms of Brenda & the girls......I was home.......no parade......no bands.....but oh what a welcome........love.....tears......hugs........happiness.
You see I did not need the parades, the bands, the cheers, ......I could not have asked for a better memory than the home comings I received in 1969 and 1983. I have been truly blessed.
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