Veterans Day—In Remembrance In remembrance of all veterans regardless of the branch of service they served in or the battles they participated in. Many gave their lives for freedom in all branches of service, Army, Navy, Marines and other branches. Thousands were killed in each branch of service. I can remember a few from Lee County Virginia who lost their lives in a foreign land. Charles ‘Charlie’ Burgan, son of Simpson Burgan and a neighbor to my family survived the Bataan death march but later died from malnutrition in a Japanese labor camp. Olin Pennington’s son was sent back to be buried in The Pennington Memorial Cemetery on a knoll above highway 421 just down the road from where I was brought up. A young man from Pucketts Creek, last name Rogers, I remember his face but cannot recall his first name. He lost his life I think in the European theater. Lonnie Evans, a cousin of mine and son of Cecil and Maxie Evans lost his life in the Vietnam War. That is just a few of many from Lee County. Then there are the ones that were wounded and came home and struggled with their wounds the rest of their lives. My cousin Clyde Rhea lost the use of his arm when hit by shrapnel in Europe. A close friend Charles Redwine struggled along with lead in his leg put there by a German Machine Gun. Bud Parsons from Pucketts Creek was wounded in the Pacific Theater and suffered the rest of his life. And how well, I remember Mark Johnson from Texas, getting his arm blown off as he walked just ahead of me in Northern France in January 1945. Nick Palumbo from Pennsylvania took a bullet to his chest and died instantly. I remember the only movement I noticed as he lay flat on his back was a twitch from his right foot and to this day I still can see that last jerky movement from his foot wearing a combat boot. I stand on a dock in Cherbourg France after being rescued from icy waters of the English Channel with my fellow soldiers and watch as frozen bodies of our comrades are brought in and stacked like firewood. All of the death and suffering was for freedom, don’t ever forget that.
Posted on: Tue, 11 Nov 2014 01:58:16 +0000
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