A Trip With Veterans

[Austinville]

I live in a small town, population 1,200. Ten days ago the Sons of the American Legion, along with the Legion Auxiliary, took 46 area veterans to the Iowa Veterans Museum, some 45 minutes away. They filled two coaches with Vets and their escorts. As the editor of the local newspaper, I was invited along to tell their stories.

 

The Vets were pretty quiet, keeping their memories to themselves for the most part. I did manage to find one that was willing to share a bit of his pain, garnered while serving in Vietnam.

 

What he had to say touched me in a way that I find difficult to express. It took me seven days to write the story, because I wanted to be sure I gave it the time and thought the story deserved. The paper hit the news stands and was delivered to subscribers yesterday afternoon and early evening. Already this morning, I've had two vets in. They couldn't find the words they were looking for. One just simply gave me a hug and pointed to the news stand in my front office.

 

After winning some nice honors last year during the Iowa Newspaper Association's annual contest, I felt like I'd hit the jackpot and finally 'fit' into my chosen career as a small town Iowa newspaper editor. But let me tell you, that simple warm hug has been my greatest reward of my writing career....

 

The words of the Veteran who found his voice long enough to share a piece of his story...."It sticks in the mind - man's inhumanity to man." ---- well, they say it all.

 

God Bless the Veterans - everywhere. 

[BingBlaze n Skyla]

Aww I bet that was nice . The hug just saying it all , lovely

[Husky-gunner]

  WELL DONE 

[Andy]

Well done Becky

[BlueWolf]

Can it be read somewhere online?

[goingsolo]

Sometimes our jobs are worth it xxxxxx

[Elyse]

Awwww....

Can it be read online? I'd like to read it. 

[Austinville]

Can it be read somewhere online?

Yup, it can now! LOL

 

Hard memories

Local Vets tour Iowa Veterans Museum

 

Becky Schipper

Amidst the morning chatter, the small-talk of small town America, Veterans gather - discussing the Homecoming win by the AGWSR football team, local politics and more. It is not a typical morning for them. As they drink their coffee and enjoy rolls, more Veterans from the Ackley community arrive and the room fills with the sounds of their discussions and the anticipation of the day. The numbers rise to 46 and the group begin pushing in their chairs and heading to the door where two coaches are waiting to take them to their destination - the Iowa Veterans Museum in Waterloo. The Vets and their guests, sometimes their wives - other times their sons, begin boarding.

The first surprise of the day greets the Veterans as they glance out the window. Their eyes light up as they realize what’s happening - the local football team members lining Main Street, waving flags in respect for the Veterans and what they provided to their country. It’s a send off fit for an honor flight, right down to the police escort out of town. The buses grows quiet as the Veterans take in the sight.

Minutes pass before the chatter begins again.

Before they know it, the buses pull up to their destination and the group leave the buses, a light rain falling as they make their way to the door of the museum where they are greeted by museum staff and volunteers. They gather in the lobby and are surprised yet again as photographs of each of the Veterans appears on a screen behind the staff member as she explains the many exhibits and their locations. And then they are off, each heading in a different direction, perhaps to view the museum in chronological order, others head directly to the area representing the era in which they served.

For Ackley Post Commander, Rick Heitland, it was a journey that took him back in time, especially when he visited the Vietnam and Current Conflict exhibits. Heitland enlisted in the Air Force in 1967, later switching to the Army. He served in Vietnam and the Gulf War.

It was as he listened to the ‘Voices of Veterans’ playing on a screen built in to the rear of the Huey that the tears began to fall. Heitland excused himself from the group watching, and slowly moved to the other side of the helicopter, eventually leaning on it for support - his eyes still damp.

“It sticks in the mind - man’s inhumanity to man,†Heitland remarked, clearing his throat in an effort to regain control of his wandering memories. A brief explanation of how many soldiers could be on the litters in the back of the Huey was difficult. The vivid memories - pictures that he’d rather forget; sounds he’d rather never hear again, came rushing back.

“It’s disheartening...when there’s nothing you can do,†Heitland mustered, his voice cracking with emotion. “But you have to be positive. Provide a boost. Do everything possible and say whatever you have to. Find the right words at the right time.â€

Heitland never intended to be a medic in the war. He’d hoped to work in electronics, but that wasn’t to be.

He survived the Vietnam war and returned to serve his country in the Gulf war. As a 1st Sergeant, his unit was the first medical asset there.

Technology had changed everything. In the Gulf, Heitland served again as a flight medic, this time on a Blackhawk, with a better capability to provide much better care.

“The Blackhawk had a carousel for patients. We could load six and rotate it so that all the (medical) equipment we needed was in the center, where it was handy for all,†he explained. If the Blackhawk was needed for a mission, the carousel could be removed.

It was also a different war....â€In Vietnam, it was ‘hide-and-seek’ - in the desert, you can’t hide-and-seek. The Gulf wasn’t a typical ‘ground war.’ It primarily handled by air assault,†he stated. “In the Gulf, we did a lot of work in treating the locals...a lot of medical evacuations - women, old men and even babies. There were cases where the elderly were beaten and worse, by their own people,†he told later.

“In the Gulf, the average age was 22. We had five Vets, plus a bunch of kids...the hardest part was what the young people went through,†Heitland told. “Some of the young didn’t know what to expect - others were those full of bravado and looking for a battle.â€

Heitland was not alone in his memories as he perused the exhibits, the 45 other veterans had their own and dealt with them in their own ways - some grew quiet, still others wiped tears, and still others showed no outward sign of the thoughts racing through their minds.

“There is no glory in war. No glory in dying,†Heitland concluded.

The Legion Auxiliary, along with the Sons of the American Legion organized and funded the trip for the local Vets. “It was our gift to the members of the Legion,†Lenae Metzgar explained. “I think everyone who went appreciated it.†Metzgar was credited for coming up with the idea and was recognized for her countless hours of work planning, financing and supporting the trip.

[Removed #5]

Nuff said.