My Passion.. Vietnam Veterans

My Lesson for us all.. Develop a passion for something in life..
I am going to tell the story so that all may remember. I do not share much of myself here as my desire is to help others find their path to healing but I am a Vietnam Vet counselor. I have done this for many years.. I did not have the degree when I was 16 and I first started bringing myself to the Men that serve our country. I visited the Veterans hospitals and held their hands while they cried and wanted to cease this thing we call life. I was 16, so young, carefree, and it brought them hope.

Fast forward to me a few years ago, still giving of myself to these special people and I really grew close to a couple of them. One was a Vet that does amazing art work to deal with the pain of being there and he does not sell them, but gives them in love. I have one of these of his first night there as a FNG and it shows him in the bunker with the Vietcong coming in to kill him. He had to make a decision to live that night and do things that none of us would ever wish too.
He lived but was tortured and arrived on my doorstep , gun in hand , ready to stop the pain. I sat on the car with the door open and my back to him, and told him that he could talk safe from any expressions that crossed my face, and he did , for hours as the tears silently streamed down my face, and after it was released, he uncocked that gun and decided to try life again. This man is responsible in large part to the War Memorial in many cities across the US. Thank you God.

The other near and dear to my heart is gone now and named William but I called him Willie. I visited him every Sunday on my day off and bought stuff I did not need weekly, for him to have money to live. I loved him and cared for him.

I was with him the day before he died and he would not let me call rescue. He was tired and so ill so I just told him I would always be near if he needed me. I went home and waited for the call which came the next day. It came and I went to console his brother and plan the funeral for my friend. I wanted him to have the Military Funeral he deserved, but could not seem to make the local Am-vets understand that he was more important than the parade they had planned for the day of his funeral.

I clawed and called and spoke to everyone in charge and was just about ready to call the friggin president, when finally they said, we will come. He had his honor guard that day, Taps played as he was laid to rest, giving his life for his country, and I was at rest knowing that we cared for another one. All of this is done for my brother, served 68-69 and returned with a Purple heart, bronze star and a hole in his heart that could never be filled, as they spit on him as he exited the plane to be on US soil. This song is my song of fixing as many of the Men and women that serve our country. To let them know we care and that we are sorry we did not welcome them home as we should have on that day.

(((((People who serve our country)))

Love, Kimmee "

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=733HYn4kJaY&feature=related

(((Michael Cousino is in the first photo and William Churchill is in the second one)

Comments

Gloria Peacock Kimmel This is the Memorial that I did for all Veterans when I was Historian for The Town Of DePeyster NY...

Gloria Peacock Kimmel I had something on display from every war and conflict that we had engaged in since the Revolutionary War. Willie died the year the Red Sox won the World Series. He had waited all his life and died in October and they won a few days later. We gathered and listened to it with a picture of him near. I know that he knew his beloved Red Sox won that day..