Remembering the Heroes in My Life
Memorial Day Tribute

As I’m getting older, it has become apparent that many of our family stories may not get passed to the next generation. So, I was inspired to write a few things down about the members of my family who served in the Armed Forces. This is my Memorial Day Tribute to them!

My Dad Was an amazing guy. He sacrificed his early education in order to work during the Depression Era and helped support his family. He told wonderful stories about traveling around with carnivals, guessing people’s weight, helping children on rides because that was the only job he could get. When I think of the courage that took — after all he was only in sixth grade when he was called to help his family — I feel proud. I can remember Dad taking us to Riverview, one of the original amusement parks in the Chicago area, and workers calling out, “Mickey, hey, how are you?” I thought it was so cool that the people who ran the booths at Riverview knew my Dad.

So, it’s not surprising that my Dad served in the Army. He was trained as a paratrooper but broke his back jumping off a tower. Instead of crying, “injury,” and coming home, he became an MP in Patton’s tank corps. He used to show us photos of places he’d been in Europe, waiting for D-Day. But, he never answered questions about what war was like for him. Funny thing – when he was dying, he had drifted back to the time he was in England, walking through a rose garden, waiting for the troops to be moved to Normandy. This vision apparently gave him peace both during the war and and his death process.

Another family member who served in WWII was my Uncle Angelo. He was a very sweet, gentle man. Sometimes when we visited, he’d be there and entertain us kids, and we’d all share the most amazing family dinners. Other times he wouldn’t be there.  When I was young, I didn’t really know where he went. But, when I was older, I found out that he was in the hospital when he wasn’t around. He had been on a ship that was torpedoed and sank. Then, he was assigned to another ship which also was torpedoed and sank. Uncle Angelo had severe PTSD, and my Aunt, his wife, told me that he couldn’t get over the second experience. I can only imagine what horrors he saw before he was rescued. What I do know is that he never felt safe and had few moments of peace.

My cousin, Joey, was sent to Vietnam. He had a break and came home for a visit after his first tour of duty there. At that point, he was in pretty good shape. We loved it because he brought us real silk brocade for making fancy dresses. We felt like princesses. His second tour of duty didn’t turn out well. When he came home, he also had PTSD. When fire engines would roar by his house, he would dive under the kitchen table and hide. If there were any loud noises, he would have flashbacks. I clearly remember my Dad sitting in the yard with Joey, letting him know he understood what Joey was going through.

So, I never take my freedom for granted. I have a small insight into the price the men in my family paid for this privilege. I think that’s why I have a bit of the activist in me — voting with my dollars, educating people to wake up and find out the truth, refusal to believe conditioned lies spoken by people who want me to approve them stealing my personal freedoms.

I would like to close this piece and share this wonderful video with you. For all you heroes out there and the families that love you, know that you are remembered with honor, respect, and love. Papa, Uncle Angelo, Joey, this one’s for you:

 

If you have a hero in your family and would like to tell his or her story, please leave a comment!