This article was written by a guest contributor, John Trompeter, the owner/operator of ComForCare of Wheaton, IL.
One of the perks of my work in home care is to get a close-up view of our clients’ lives, which are oftentimes very interesting. I experienced one man’s personal story recently about his World War II service that I never would have expected.
This man, whom I’ll call Jim, fought in the Battle of Iwo Jima, which was a very hard-fought and critical military campaign south of Japan.
Jim explained that his unit was supposed to be the first to get off the landing craft. But at the last minute the orders were switched, and another unit plunged into the water and waded ashore. The fighting started, and Jim explained that because of that fluke of fate, his life was spared.
Jim did not go into the details of what was certainly a stressful time of his life. Like many other soldiers, I’m sure that things happened that he’d rather not talk about. These are memories that are put away in a certain place and don’t need to come out. Soldiers like Jim would rather not be deeply interviewed.
The veterans I meet have a certain pride in the part they played in history, but not the bragging kind. They did their duty. They may have given up college or other opportunities. But they are glad they contributed. Their military awards are proudly framed on their walls.
Jim passed recently, and he is likely the last World War II veteran we will serve. We’ve been seeing Korean War veterans for a while, and we expect to see more and more Vietnam veterans as time goes on.
It seems that the difficulties of war hone a person’s character. The sacrifices made, and thoughts of their own mortality, grounds a person in what is really important in life, and not the superficial things the rest of us worry about so often. There is a certain silent and calm demeanor about a veteran who has lived through this experience.
As we celebrate this year’s Independence Day on the Fourth, let’s thank the veterans for their service.
By John Trompeter Owner/Operator, ComForCare of Wheaton