Just be there

[Car Nut]

A nurse took the tired, anxious serviceman to the bedside. “Your son is here,” she said to the old man.
She had to repeat the words several times before the patient’s eyes opened.

Heavily sedated because of the pain of his heart... attack, he... dimly saw the young uniformed Marine
standing outside the oxygen tent. He reached out his hand. The Marine wrapped his toughened fingers
around the old man’s limp ones, squeezing a message of love and encouragement.

The nurse brought a chair so that the Marine could sit beside the bed. All through the night the young
Marine sat there in the poorly lighted ward, holding the old man’s hand and offering him words of love
and strength.

Occasionally, the nurse suggested that the Marine move away and rest awhile. He refused.

Whenever the nurse came into the ward, the Marine was oblivious of her and of the night noises of the
hospital - the clanking of the oxygen tank, the laughter of the night staff members exchanging greetings,
the cries and moans of the other patients.

Now and then she heard him say a few gentle words. The dying man said nothing, only held tightly to his
son all through the night.

Along towards dawn, the old man died. The Marine released the now lifeless hand he had been holding
and went to tell the nurse. While she did what she had to do, he waited.

Finally, she returned. She started to offer words of sympathy, but the Marine interrupted her,
“Who was that man?” he asked.

The nurse was startled, “He was your father,” she answered.

“No, he wasn’t,” the Marine replied. “I never saw him before in my life.”

“Then why didn’t you say something when I took you to him?”

“I knew right away there had been a mistake, but I also knew he needed his son, and his son just wasn’t
here. When I realized that he was too sick to tell whether or not I was his son, knowing how much he
needed me, I stayed. I came here tonight to find a Mr. William Grey. His Son was killed in Iraq the other
day, and I was sent to inform him. What was this Gentleman’s Name? “

The nurse with tears in her eyes answered, “Mr. William Grey………”

The next time someone needs you … just be there.

 

[super-bee_ski]

Is that a true story?
Well, it was profound if it was true or not.

 

[Brandy]

I have performed Honor Guard duties at 263 military funerals. Each one harder than the last. This reminds me of a young lady, now a widow, of another combat aviator. As i bent over and solemnly placed the folded flag in her hands she grabbed my hand under the flag, like a vise. As I finished saying the words she suddenly pulled me towards her, and I had to kneel on one knee at her feet. She bent her head towards me and whispered in my right ear that she was so scared, that she just couldn't let go of me yet because she needed my strength just then, if only for a few minutes, until she could gather the courage to face her life alone.
I was about to cry myself but I whispered back that we could stay there like that for ever, if would help her in any small way. She sighed shakily and rested her forehead against my shoulder, sobbing silently. She had few people there for her, no parents, no siblings, no grandparents, it seemed that it was just her and him against the world. We stayed like that for nearly ten minutes, her under the tent edge, me mostly in the pouring down rain, on a 37 degree day. Although I was soaked to the bone I was careful not to move a muscle for the duration.
Finally she raised her tear streaked , and very lovely, face to stare into my eyes. She took my left hand into hers as well and I felt her thumb roll over my wedding ring under the clean white glove. She leaned in and kissed my cheek, and whispered again into my ear. She said," Sir, you are a very kind man and I thank you for your compassion and your willingness to indulge a grieving widow at the expense of your own comfort, in a time when your own emotions must be in turmoil as well. I see by your medals and ribbons that you are also a hero, a combat veteran no less." After a slight hesitation, "Do you think that Jim suffered when his chopper went down?" I was at a complete loss as to what to reply to this obviously distraught woman. So i just tried to appear as if I was thinking about a reply, while only giving myself time to think. After a moment I looked back up, I reached up slowly and tore the silver wings from my own dress blues and set them in her palm and gently folded her small delicate hand over them. I looked her right in the eye and replied, " Mrs. XXXXX, I believe that Jim filled his final seconds with the thought of your beautiful face, the love he felt for you, and the hope that you would somehow be able to move forward from this hallowed ground, to birth his child and raise a patriot to take his place. I am positive that he looks down upon you both right now, right here, and that he remains your one and only true love. His love for you will reside in your heart for evermore. Bless you and your child and please know that you have not only my most profound sympathy, but the sympathy of every military man, past, present, and future. I say this because you need to know, that it's great women, just like you, that create great men, just like Jim." She gazed around my face, down at my chest full of colored ribbons, and then back at me. " And you sir, just like you too." She smiled a small smile and cocked her head to the side a bit while rolling her thumb once more over my wedding ring. " Your wife is a very lucky woman, I pray that she never loses you." I couldn't help it, a single tear got away and rolled down my face. She wiped it away sadly and said, " Thank you, I'm okay now and I will cherish these wings the rest of my life." She released my hands and put hers in her lap cradling her 8 + month pregnant belly. I slowly stood to attention, and I almost didn't make it, I was stiff from cold and rain, nearly frozen. I gave her the slow salute and a left face, walking away slowly while the mournful wail of Taps played out over the graveyard, echoing in the storm as the leaden skies broke open and the sun bathed the grave site in golden warm rays of the sun. True story, every word. Her son is now 8 years old.

 

[GetX'd]

Wow - that's a very profound story. Thanks so much for Sharing such a personal moment. God blessed you with the opportunity - and you handled like a good Marine.

 

[super-bee_ski]

Thank you for that "service" Ghost Rider!

 

[Brandy]

That is one of several "stories" that I have from those days of service to my fellow soldiers, it just reminded me of the foregoing story. Some of the ones that I remember are funny some are just sad. Not much good news in burying heroes.