Posted on 12/29/2004 3:43:54 PM PST by timydnuc
My lovely wife gave the gift of all gifts this Christmas.
All of my military awards and memorabilia burned in a fire some years ago in Texas. I had always expressed disappointment that they were gone. The only thing I had left were my corporal stripes and my 101st "Screaming eagle" patch and a partially burned ranger patch to go with it.
My loving wife saw me through this last election, she saw how pissed I was at Kerry and his flauting of a 4 month stretch in the Nam. She saw how I came off the chair at any mention of Purple Hearts and Silver Stars.
This little girl set out to get make me happy, and she did. She went through her friend at Veterans Affairs, and the DOD. It took her four months but she gathered all my military decorations, full metals and all, had a special case build, and mounted every one of them.
On Christmas day she made sure that it was the last gift I opened. I was speachless, and touched beyond belief. The kids were there, her's and mine, and she explained what every metal meant as if she were a pentagon expert.
She had even gotten the actual citation for my "big" metal. She had a friend of ours script it on parchment and framed, and she read it to our family. The kids just looked at me with disbelief. I was as humble as I have ever been in my life. She threw her arms around me, gave me a big kiss and said, "You are my hero". We all had a big toast to all troops everywhere fighting for freedom, and then a "group hug" (as much as I hate those things, this was very nice).
I was awarded a Silver Star in the Nam for only doing my duty, but there it was anyway. The metal had partially melted in the fire but I kept the remains in the bottom of an old footlocker for decades. She made this thing happen because she loves me, and I love her desparately. As I look at this on the wall in my den I'm more proud of her than she can ever be of me.
To Vietnam vets.....I just had MY parade on Christmas day. God, I'm a luck man!
What a great story! Merry Christmas to you, thanks for posting this so we can all admire your wife! And so we can all thank you, of course!
God bless you and your wife.
A wonderful story. You sir are a lucky man! Any single sister-inlaws?
What a wonderful story. You are very blessed.
I don't know why but your story brought tears to my eyes. Thank you for your service in Nam. I couldn't go so I thank you for doing it for me. God bless.
Lovely. I'm sitting here smiling just imagining the scene:)
Thanks for sharing your Christmas present with us.
Happy New Year to you both!
Screaming Eagle Mom
P.S. Thanks J Dan:)
What a wonderful Christmas. You are a lucky man. Thanks for sharing your story with us and thank you for your service.
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