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Mom and Dad
New pilot, Lewis S Ball Army Air Corps |
Last night as we attempted to watch the National Memorial Day concert from DC prior to its being called for bad weather, the story of Brigette Cain, young widow had me sobbing. Showing the children was too much for me! It hits too close to home for so many like me, my siblings in AWON who lost our fathers in WWII, mine prior to my birth. It is a deep wound that has not nor will ever heal--68 years later on life's path. You can find his stories on this blog. What inspired me about Brigette Cain is that she vows to keep her husband"s memory alive and is making books for the children. My Mom never did that; as many of her generation, no one talked about my dad' I have learned it was their way, move on, etc. She remarried and her second husband likely would not allow mention of my father. I can remember fantasizing to myself, "wait till my dad comes back, then it will all be OK..." That was because no trace was ever found of his plane and crew, despite the reports of searching according to the official government records. Memorial Day brings me right back to wishing I could have known more what she could have told me when she was alive, in later years she shared a little more about how there was never anyone like him, his humor and his wit and how I was the spitting image of him. For Brigette Cain and all the widows of wartimes, I pray for you all and hope the family of your fallen warrior treats you and your children with respect and love and surely better than my father's family ever did. I hope you find the peace of acceptance and can once again enjoy life. Here is a link to the PBS special with a photo of Brigette.
http://www.pbs.org/memorialdayconcert/features/losing-my-hero.html
This recalls thought of how ashamed I am of a niece who lives in Ohio and who made a political ad endorsing a candidate who helped her sort out something about a bill sent to niece's boyfriend who was deployed to Afghanistan. When I saw that on You Tube I was disgusted, there blabs my niece on and on about "a love one deployed..." and praising this congressional candidate; further the political ad touts help about her husband..NOT. So many thoughts shot through my mind along with the initial disdain of "how could you...." but I know she is striving for her five minutes of fame....and to some it doesn't matter whose coat tails they ride.
This appeared today in our local paper the La Crosse Tribune.....a story that needs to be told across the country. Somehow here in the Midwest and in the east we are better at remembering.
I was thinking that we used to call this Decoration Day, the day we went to the cemeteries to decorate the graves in Pennsylvania. I have found that was right and not until sometime in the 1960"s was it changed to Memorial Day. Whatever else we do today, let us lift a prayer of remembrance and gratitude.
