A Soldier's Letter

My paternal grandmother used to tell about the day my dad was drafted into the Korean War.  For her, seeing her youngest son/child going off to war was devastating.  She told me how, while he was gone, she would cry and pray for him every day.  The whole family was living on pins and needles, especially while he was deployed into Korea itself. Thankfully (and obviously), my dad came home from war, but not after having been injured by an exploding grenade.  In fact, throughout his life he could not have certain medical tests done because of shrapnel that was lodged in his face. 

Not too long ago, I found some pictures of my father from the war and a letter that he had sent to his family back home in NYC.  Apparently, just a few months earlier, April 1951, he had been on a short leave and was able to visit with his family.  I found the pictures from that visit and it seems like the family was having such a great time having my dad around.  Then it was back out to Long Beach, California and then to Japan.  That’s when my dad wrote the letter I found to his family back home—June 1951 from Camp McNair in Japan. 

He began the letter noting that it had been almost a month since he had received any letters from back home.  He blamed it on a bad mail system. He noted he was concerned that everyone back home was ok.  Mostly, he was letting them know, in an indirect way, that he missed them and that he was feeling a bit homesick.  He then went on to ask about the family, talk about a friend who had been stationed at Fort Monmouth, NJ (right where I live now), and then a lot of talk about the Yankees and the “Bums” (the Brooklyn Dodgers)!  At one point he wrote, “If I were back home I wouldn’t care where I was, as long as it was the good old U.S.”  He ended the letter noting that he had run out of things to write and hoping that just maybe there would be a letter for him in that night’s mail call. 

As I read that letter, tears welled up in my eyes as I gained a glimpse into a part of my dad’s life I had never known.  The fact that he was feeling lonely and homesick was something new to me as his son.  The young 23 year old that he was came through—a part of his life I obviously was not a part of. 

Aside from thinking about my dad, his letter makes me think about the millions of mostly young men and women who have served our nation throughout the years and the many times they have been afraid, lonely, homesick—just wanting to get back to their families, eat a home-cooked meal, and watch a baseball game.  And, it reminds me of the moms and dads, brothers and sisters who have held their breath, praying that their son or daughter would come home.  For sure, on all sides a huge price has been and continues to be paid for our freedom by those who have served us.

To all who have served us in our armed forces and to their families I say, “thank you.”  And, I pray God’s blessing on you today.  

“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”  (2 Corinthians 13:14 – NIV) 

Have a great day! 

Pastor Tim Harris