The shorter boy in this photo is my great uncle Jack (not short for anything — he was Jack). The tallest is my grandfather Leon (Papa). I posted this pic back on Veteran’s Day. He died in Italy approximately 12 years after this photo.
The above is Jack’s grave marker from the Rome-Sicily Cemetery. Jack Walker volunteered, serving in the 143rd Infantry Regiment of the 36th Division (the Texas Division). A corporal, he was killed by mortar fire in October 1943.
Why did he give “his last full measure”? Why would an East Texas born West Texas dirt farmer go to Italy to die for his country? Did he fight for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? Probably on some meta-level. Did he fight for his buddies on the front lines? I’m sure when push came to shove he fought harder for them than for any ideal.
I never knew Uncle Jack obviously. He died before my grandparents even met. He died before my grandfather had become a tail gunner in a B-17 and spent 11 months in an east German POW camp. My grandfather and his brother (too young for WW2) and sisters idolized Jack. They always talked about him. If my grandfather — one of my heroes — idolized Jack then he must’ve been one helluva guy.
Why did he fight? Why is a little bit of West Texas buried in Italy? All of the above reasons I’m sure. I also like to think he fought for this reason too:
Part of this Memorial Day will include the re-telling my children about Uncle Jack and Papa and my great Uncle L.E. (just L.E. thank you) who fought in Saipan, and my great Uncle Leslie flying during the Berlin Airlift and their Grandpa who served during Vietnam and their aunt and uncle who served and serve during the WAR against Islamic extremists…. They fought and fight for my little Sabrina, Joshua and Zachary — and they didn’t even know…. Jack was not able to have his own children, but rest assured his name and legacy did not die with him on that October day half way around the world 67 years ago.
***edited from a post on my personal blog last year
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Very moving, Floyd.
Rest in peace, Jack! You didn’t have any children of your own, but you left a legacy that will go on!
Friday, I told the 2nd grade teacher that I share an office with, that this education website we have access to has Memorial Day documentaries (appropriate for the age groups) for our students to watch. Now, 99% of the time she’s great and I love her, but she’s a lib and went on a rant about how she isn’t doing anything about Memorial Day, and how she doesn’t believe the military should have Veteran’s Day AND Memorial Day. She feels bad for the guys who were drafted, but the guys that enlisted knew what they were getting into. Yikes!
And again, she’s great in a lot of other ways. But I didn’t even bother countering her opinion because she’s brainwashed too far beyond anything I could come up with to make her see the error of her naive ways. Plus, I share an office with her and we have to coexist. My reaction was just laughter because it was so ridiculous. Between Memorial Day and Veterans Day, the military gets two days out of the year to receive that acknowledgement? But there’s Teacher’s Appreciation WEEK.
I’ll remind her later that part of our state standards that say we have to teach about all Holidays must be fulfilled, regardless of our opinions about them. Like I’m required to mention briefly about Kwanzaa, and do because it’s my job to objectively do so.
My job is a stressful one and if the feds want to throw me a bone in the way of an appreciation DAY, fine. I don’t really need it though. But for every man and woman who has ever served and is serving, we should thank them every day, not just the two days that some think are overkill.
She forgot Armed Forces Day.
I will assume you also saw the reply above about Memorial Day not being about the living but the dead, you know the folks that gave their lives so she could hold those ridiculous opinions. I am sure she could find a conflict that she might agree with and honor the dead from that war if she so desires.
I am glad the education of our children is in such wonderful hands.
I told her that Memorial Day was not about the living but those who gave their lives for their country, and she said that the military veterans are trying to use those days too .. to seek glory or whatever. As if they wouldn’t like to honor those that died that they served with on that day! She complains about her Dad, who’s a Fire Chief, having Fox News blaring all day. And I just have to laugh at this naivete. But I will have to go over her (our) head to see if I can get her to do her job about teaching patriotic holidays (and Easter, because she pulled the same crap on that one and it’s in our books). 99.9% of our students are Christian and American.
I could have argued against this chick about the generations of my family that fought for the sake of this country since King Phillp’s War to WWII. But her college never taught her about that stuff.
I really feel sorry for braindead people such as your colleague, Matt! But the ones I feel sorry for the most are the poor unknowing children that go through her classes learning to be as braindead as she. Quite the legacy she will leave!
Blessed be the memory.
The personal stories of our fallen soldiers is what Memorial Day is all about. Godspeed.
I too had an Uncle Jack, captured at Dunkirk he returned in 45 a broken man doomed to die years later from the TB contracted in a silesian camp….God Bless them all.
[...] the Connecticut senatorial election this fall, Eric’s moving story about a WW2 vet, I express my gratitude to my great uncle Jack, and Outlaw pays tribute to his fallen [...]