Tweet
After dinner with my family we went to my wife's aunt and uncle's place for pie and conversation. It was extra cool as Cousin Dave (my wife's cousin but since I have been with my wife since HS, he's mine too) was home from Iraq.
Dave is in the Navy and when his sub got dry docked, he was shipped to Baghdad to work with training the Iraqi police and security forces. We'd get humorous dispatches from Dave to let us know all was well and things were going as planned.
Tonight we all sat down for pie and Dave said, "Now that everyone's here I have something to show you."
He pulled out a Purple Heart.
He had been injured in a rocket attack on a building he was in. The shrapnel from the explosion entered his back and legs. He was in a hospital for 2 months recovering.
Here's the rub. He told NO ONE. Not one of his three other brothers, nor anyone else close to his family. Not one person at that table knew anything had happened and we assumed that happy go lucky Dave served his time and came home. Nope.
His dad, a guy who received a purple heart during Vietnam dropped his fork, literally, and started weeping. His mom did about the same. The rest of us were soon to follow. It was probably the most moving thing I have ever experienced first hand in my life.
The lot of us cried for about 15 minutes. He just didn't want to make mom and dad or his brothers worried.
Thinking of this still makes me well up. It is something that I will never, ever, forget. Just an amazing moment from an amazing guy.
Brian
Dave is in the Navy and when his sub got dry docked, he was shipped to Baghdad to work with training the Iraqi police and security forces. We'd get humorous dispatches from Dave to let us know all was well and things were going as planned.
Tonight we all sat down for pie and Dave said, "Now that everyone's here I have something to show you."
He pulled out a Purple Heart.
He had been injured in a rocket attack on a building he was in. The shrapnel from the explosion entered his back and legs. He was in a hospital for 2 months recovering.
Here's the rub. He told NO ONE. Not one of his three other brothers, nor anyone else close to his family. Not one person at that table knew anything had happened and we assumed that happy go lucky Dave served his time and came home. Nope.
His dad, a guy who received a purple heart during Vietnam dropped his fork, literally, and started weeping. His mom did about the same. The rest of us were soon to follow. It was probably the most moving thing I have ever experienced first hand in my life.
The lot of us cried for about 15 minutes. He just didn't want to make mom and dad or his brothers worried.
Thinking of this still makes me well up. It is something that I will never, ever, forget. Just an amazing moment from an amazing guy.
Brian
Comment