[May 25, 2016] We’ve all met military veterans and most of us thank them for their service and sacrifice to our nation and yet there remains one overlooked group that is just as important. The families of those veterans are frequently treated as second-class citizens. Yesterday, while traveling through the state of New Jersey, I happened to visit the widow of a World War II veteran.
She is 90 years old and was married to a soldier who had served his time in the U.S. Army during that war. For most people the story ends there. Her husband passed away two years ago and there was a small obituary saying he was a WWII veteran but not much else. What made her special? What made her special other than her husband earning the Silver Star for bravery in Europe, or helping free the Dachau concentration camp, or assisting with the bodies at the Gardelegen Massacre?1
Too many of the families of veterans are often forgotten or only tolerated or as something to avoid. Such is the sad state of our country when wonderful people, such as this lady, are overlooked or shunned. She had not been visited by anyone from the military since her husband’s death. I was the first and our visit was only by accident.
Not only was she a real lady, she was also gracious, helpful, and pleasant to be with during our visit. She was also a great story teller about their life as a couple and her husband’s military service. On the wall was a shadow box of her husband’s medals. I told her that the Purple Heart had his name on the back (which she did not know) and that my request was that she never give away the medals. She told me that these were “keepers” and she would always treasure them because it reminded her of their 60 years of marriage.
My wife was with me and they gave each other a hug at the end of our visit. What a marvelous time we had. We did have to step over the cats living with her and, of course, my Yellow Labrador stayed outside as it was a better part of valor that our dog not tussle with the house cats.
Leaders need to ensure that the families of our military personnel are never forgotten. They are the ones who keep our families together, endure the long silence of their spouses’ departure, and the shadow of the limelight given to their veteran spouse.
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- He was a member of Company C, 692nd Tank Destroyer Battalion and earned the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and numerous campaign medals for his service during World War II.