I was just 13, and still very much a juvenile delinquent.
It was the Summer of 1968.
Not as good as 1967, the Summer of Love, but what could be?
Hemisfair in San Antonio.
A 2,000-mile drive from Kingsville, Texas, to Huntington Beach, California, to visit my oldest uncle and his family. I was with my wise old grandmother and one of her lady friends, who did the driving.
When we got home to Kingsville four weeks later, there was a letter on the kitchen bar from my youngest uncle who had been living with us. The letter said very simply, "I have joined the Army. Doug."
That was it. No date. Nothing else. Just "I have joined the Army. Doug."
My wise old grandmother was upset because 1968 was the height of the Vietnam War. She couldn't sleep at night since she didn't know where her youngest son was. Had he already been sent to Vietnam? Would she never see him again? After several sleepless nights, she got a call from Doug. He was at Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas, but visitors weren't allowed until basic training graduation in late August.
Not the news she was hoping for, but better than hearing that he had already left the country, and she could at least call him weekly.
In late August, we got the official invitation to go to the basic training graduation review at Fort Hood. Oh, boy, was I excited. I was going to get to go to a real Army base. I knew I'd see lots of soldiers, lots of guns, tanks, the whole works.
That was back in 1968. Doug did ship out to Vietnam that September and spent two years there. He left as a Spec. 1 and came back two years later as a Spec. 5 with several medals, including a Purple Heart. I was awarded the honor of creating a wooden wall display case to display his medals.
Doug was fortunate that he came back from Vietnam -- so many didn't. Yesterday's tragic events at Fort Hood brought back many memories of Fort Hood -- touring the base, getting to see the barracks, climbing up into a tank on display, and so much more.
I haven't thought of Ford Hood for many years, but never would I have thought that years later 13 of our military heroes would not even get a chance to fight for our freedom, being killed in a cowardly way that only cowards can think of.
For those of you who pray, pray for not only the deceased and the wounded, and their families and friends, but pray for peace and tolerance in the World. We can do better than this.
My thoughts are with all.
Peace.
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Prayers are with them for sure. It is so sad when something like this happens. Pure evil.