Enjoy - J. Goertel
THE POWER OF ADORATION
A parent can set the tone for how we view individuals. Mother helped me adore my Auntie Kay by
making sure I knew how she had triumphed over the life-long effects of breaking
her legs as a child. (In the early 1900s
she was confined in a cast and bed for weeks.) How brave she was for serving in
New Guinea as a WAC officer during WWII.
Instead of pointing out any shortcomings, Mother taught me to see the
worth in this tall, intelligent, attractive brunette. This woman whose long,
graceful fingers nimbly played concert-level classical piano. This woman who
frequently engaged in passionate conversation about the cosmos, politics, and
philosophy.
And there was my Uncle Harry, Kay’s husband. This easy-going, handsome, fun-loving man,
known as the “Long Tall Texan” although he hailed from Oklahoma, was respected
and admired for his strong work ethic, common sense, humor, and cooking
skills. He too served as an officer in
the Pacific during WWII. That’s where
the two met and married. Both of them
returned home, raised fine sons, and gave themselves as advocates for male and
female veterans through their affiliation with the American Legion.
Mother made certain we attended every special event
involving my aunt and uncle, such as Harry’s installation as the California
State Commander of the American Legion, Kay’s speeches championing better
conditions at veterans’ hospitals and equal rights for female veterans. In some way, I knew they were fighting for
me, too. Yes, I admired and adored them
both.
As the years went by, this background of respect and honor
for veterans stayed with me. When Auntie
Kay passed away, Mother helped sort her belongings and showed me her writings
about World War II. From her book, “New
Guinea, A Magic Name and A Magic Isle,” some insight into my aunt’s experience
upon arrival at the American cemetery in Sapuda:
“I can’t begin to describe the emotions that filled our
hearts and eyes, and overflowed onto our cheeks, as we stood there. We thought of the heartache of the parents
and wives of these boys, we thought of the tragedy of their having to die so young,
and we thought of the magnificence of their courage and the firmness of their
faith and belief in what they were fighting for, in what they gave their lives
for; the ones they loved, the flag they loved, the God they worshipped, in two
words, THEIR AMERICA! We swore that we
would never betray that faith and belief, or betray their trust in us to
preserve the things they loved and died for.”
And on anticipation of returning to American soil:
“We will have…the exaltation of having done our part in
winning the greatest war of all times.
However, the greatest gift that we will take back with us is the
knowledge of what war is, what it can do, and an appreciation of the great
faith in America that inspired the magnificent courage in our boys. We are determined that their sacrifice will
never be repeated by their sons, that what they fought for will be preserved,
it will never die or fade—THEIR AMERICA.”
As we know, there have been many wars since, and my cousins
did serve during the Vietnam War. My
husband, Ken, also served. He didn’t
talk about it a lot after we met, but one of his best friends told me what a
hero he was because of where he served and what he lived through. I only knew that March 30, 1968, was a day
that had imprinted his life forever, but I knew none of the details.
When we began to attend Khe Sanh Veteran reunions in recent
years, I became keenly aware of the stories I heard and of what Ken had
experienced, in part because of my aunt and uncle’s example. Through them all…my aunt and uncle, my
mother, my husband…I had learned to pay attention to the
significance of history, service, and sacrifice.
This is what led me to a sense of urgency in recording the
history of the men in Bravo Company, First Battalion, 26th
Marines...the men with whom Ken served.
As they sat around the tables and reminisced, it reinforced what I
instinctively knew…that theirs was also an incredible tale of courage and
sacrifice for our country, and that we couldn’t afford to let the Khe Sanh
veterans’ experience fade into oblivion. We needed to preserve it for their
children and grandchildren, for American history, for mankind.
And so, that seed of adoration instilled in me by my mother,
along with the men like Ken and his Bravo Company brothers who lived their
story and were willing to tell it, have resulted in our new documentary film,
“Bravo! Common Men, Uncommon Valor.”
After viewing the film, a common response is, “I care about these men…I
love them.” Now, after forty-four years,
their story is told and their service acknowledged. It is a testimony to the human spirit. It is the direct result of the power of
adoration.
An avid birder, Betty Rodgers
is also a filmmaker and photographer living in Boise, ID, with her
husband Ken. Her images are exhibited in homes, businesses, and private
collections around the west. She also publishes the Idaho Writer's
Update, the state's primary resource for literary information and
events. For recent news of Betty: http://www.cowboypoetry.com/
To follow "Bravo! Common Men, Uncommon Valor": http://bravotheproject.com/
