| The boy was 10 yrs old, full of the questions of youth and on a field trip to the Veteran's Home. He had just given a tiny flag to a vet who smiled at him as he looked at the vet's amputated legs. "Does it hurt?" The boy asked. The old vet, smiled and, peering through half closed eyelids, took the boys hand and told him his story. His name was Lee. he had been born in St. Louis, Mo on July 4th, 1885. His mother and father were immigrants from Germany and had come to the United States in search of a better life. From an early age, Lee had marveled at the soldiers marching in the parades of every 4th of July. He loved to tell them that he shared a birthday with our country. He loved to march along the sidewalk next to them and dream of wearing the uniform and taking his place among them. Here is where the Veteran paused in his story. He motioned for a nurse to bring him a box and he asked the boy to look inside. The boy looked inside and found an old worn photograph. It was a photo of a group of soldiers marching down a street. Next to the soldiers, on the sidewalk, was a little boy wearing a uniform and keeping perfect step with the soldiers. "Is the little boy you?" asked the boy? "Yes, I was 7 years old in that picture. " said the Veteran. The Veteran continued his story; he had entered the service at a young age. As a matter of fact, he had fibbed that he was a year older so that he could enter the service and do his part for his country. This is where the Veteran started to look very tired. The boy could tell that it was difficult for the him to tell the boy about his story. "It's ok if you don't feel like talking, " said the boy "I can come back another day." "If you come back," said the Veteran, "I might not be here." The Veteran told the boy the rest of his story, how his 3 brothers had been captured, and how he had wanted to get them released. He asked the little boy if he had any brothers or sisters. The boy nodded his head, "Yep, I've got 3 of each, I'm the oldest boy." The Veteran smiled. "You know, as the oldest, you have to take care of your younger brothers and sisters don't you?" "Yes Sir!" said the boy, "I don't want anything bad to happen to them." The veteran frizzled the boys hair and told him to get back to his class. "Sir?" said the boy, "do your legs hurt?" "Well son, my legs hurt all the time. They just don't bother me much anymore." The veteran was then wheeled into the dorm. The boy watched him go and asked another veteran about how Mr. Lee had lost his legs. After a few seconds the other vet told the boy something that he will never forget; "Well, son, Lee is my brother, he was an officer and our brothers and I were enlisted. We were prisoners of war. One very cold winter, my enlisted brothers and I were left outside to sleep. Lee, being an officer was allowed to sleep inside. He wouldn't see us sleeping outside so he convinced the commandant of the camp to let us go inside and him outside. He was outside for two weeks until the weather started warming back up. Frostbite got his legs and the tip of his nose. He came home as you see him and has been here every since." Lee died the next day. The boy never had the chance to thank him for his sacrifices. Service, Freedom, Sacrifice, Duty, Honor, Love Thank a Vet today. "No greater Love hath man than to lay down his life for his brothers." |
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