My Uncle, My Hero!

We did it! Scott and I left the children with my mother this weekend and made a whirlwind trip to Kansas City, Missouri where we had a life changing experience. Lt. Robert K. Henderson, my dad's brother, was killed in action in Vietnam. This weekend, nearly 36 years later, he was awarded the Silver Star. I never met him, but I have always known how special he was by the way our family spoke of him. Spending time with men he served with brought my uncle "back to life" as my father put it. There were so many stories told of my uncle saving men wounded and dodging bullets to move an injured soldier out of harms way. Many of these men were moved to tears telling their tales of survival and last memories of my uncle. Although the Silver Star was not awarded for the incident resulting in his death, we now know he demonstrated heroic acts up until the moment he was killed. Even though he has been gone almost four decades, he still brings so much healing and comfort to those that loved him most. Talk about a legacy!

We spent 24 hours with some of the most amazing men I've ever met. If you have never been in a room of war veterans, I highly recommend it. There is so much comradery and profound respect between these men. These men demonstrated their loyalty and love for our country in such a way that I have never witnessed. As I read the draft papers and the letter a veteran's mother received when drafted, I realized most of these men did not volunteer to go to war, they went because of their profound love and loyalty to our country. What does that say about our military today? Every person fighting this war on terror has voluntarily enlisted and they deserve so much more respect and love than they are given. Many of the Vietnam veterans spoke of memories returning home. Many people did not even look them in the eye in the airport. There was no big "welcome home" celebration or many words of thanks for serving our country, they came home tired and weary without the support of many Americans due to the unpopularity of the war. If you know a veteran or see a member of our military, please thank them for their selfless service to our country. I know I will from now on.