Last night we had a dear family friend to our home. This man was my home teacher growing up. He is a full blooded Navajo Indian. He participated in the Mormon exchange program where Navajo children left their homes and lived with Mormon families while going to schools. His name is Alfred, more often called Chief. He does not take offense to this name, he has lived too much life to worry about trivial things.
He is a real American hero.
Yes, those are real items he earned or survived to hold in his scared hand at my table last night. From telling us about walking through jungles deforested with Agent orange, to never taking your shoes off because the second you did the fire fight started again, to a buddy having something caressing his neck only to look up and see a 20 ft snake ascending a tree trunk via the back of your neck!
His stories were awesome and terrible. Watching people that were your friends and patrol being picked off by jungle snipers when they refused to just be quiet, lay low and retreat. To learning how incessantly noisy Americans are from yawning, to coughing, to singing!
How intensely scary the dark night is when your enemies are ruthless and restless. How they had to look for the white tape on the explosives aimed at the enemy. If they didn't see it the enemy had belly crawled all the way to the explosive and turned them around and when the Americans pulled the cord they would shoot themselves.
He shared how at one bridge a motorcade was crossing and the designated mine checker got off to visually inspect for mines. The man declared it all clear, proceed on. Alfred heard a voice in his head telling him to get off the truck. He shrugged it off but the voice came again. This time he hopped off the lead truck and jumped into the second. The lead truck started across the bridge when it was blown sky high from a mine. He watched his group disappear into eternity.
A second time they were being air lifted and his platoon got on a helicopter. There was only room for 8 men and the two pilots. He had to ride with 1 or 2 others in the next chopper. He watched his platoon be blown up by the enemy just as his chopper took to the air.
He shared how important mail was and how much it means to him that people still have patriotism and pay respect to our Veterans.
This man volunteered for the service. His draft number was out of the immenient group, but his love of country and his fellow men stirred his heart and he went. He literally gave his life for our country. The right or wrong of the war is inconsequential to the love and courage to sacrifice self for the people at home.
HE shared the touching story of being visited by his local recent stake president and recounting getting a blessing while he was severely wounded and awaiting transport on a ship. He remembered the man's name but had never been able to find him. The stake president went to the records in Salt Lake City and found this man's name and phone number. Chief received a phone call from this man and was able to thank him for the priesthood blessing so long ago. The chaplain shared that when he was leaving an orderly working on the the ship informed him that 95% of the patients would die. Chief was and is a miracle.
He shared how he gained a sitation for bravery for saving a mans life by giving him a tracheotomy in the battle field. The man lived and was able to talk etc. I think that's the bar he's pointing to in the above picture.
He also shared how a man in his platoon suddenly stopped walking and declared "I'm on a mine, please help me, I don't want to die." Chief looked and thought and left his guys for a minute to go to the jungle to pray. He asked God to help him think of a way to save this man's life. When he came back he had no ideas. He asked his platoon what should be done. The most quiet man in the bunch who had never said a word suggesting all the men wrapping their flack jackets around the man's legs. They did this and chief instructed him to fall backward so his face would avoid the blast. The platoon went to the jungle to hide and avoid the shrapnel. Nothing happened chief went back. The man blubbered "I'm afraid I can't do this, I don't want to die." Chief encouraged him that he would be fine and to just do it it would all be ok. Then went back to hide.
A few seconds later BOOM! The men ran up to look Chief was worried so he hung back. He heard his men giggling "like a bunch of schoolgirls." He came up to see what was so funny. The man was fine with only a small amount of shrapnel in his backside. It was another miracle.
My kids listened with rapt attention. They heard the horrors of war. They heard the courage of a person who does his duty. They heard the quick result of shrugging off wisdom and the resultant death that came. They learned that smoking was deadly as it showed the enemy exactly where you were and was an easy target. How many men lost their life's to a bad habit with a bullet in the brain.
He told us how soldiers were armed for battles. No grenades on outside of clothing because the pins would get snagged on branches. The reason for going commando- heat rash and rot, and the amount of ammo each would carry.
They saw his gnarled hand, observed his limping walk, and saw his glass eye. He was twice wounded in two different fire fights. Yet he is kind, he is real and he is an honor to know!
It was his birthday Saturday so we sang him Happy Birthday. We have taken cookies and cards to many veterans over the past two years and it has really touched many of them. Many stating they have never received such a gift or acknowledgement. Some talk and share a story or memento with the kids, some do not. Some cry, some say nothing. But it's teaching the kids that solders and battles are fought by real men and women they know.
Many are dying, or living with unseen demons. Many were scorned when they returned. They are not given the power to make political choices concerning the style or length of warfare. They are brave men who love their fellowmen and have the courage and sense of sacrifice that is humbling. I am grateful for these kind of brave people. I'm very thankful my parents made this happen. It was an evening I hope we remember for a very long time.
