Sep/Oct 2005 - Korean War Veterans Association

50
On the Home Front
One of the remarkable things of
note at veterans’ gatherings is
the fact that many of them are not
alone. They are accompanied by
wives, sons, daughters…the very
people for whom they fought in wars
waged thousands of miles from
home. These warriors were separated
from their friends and relatives
for long periods of time, often wondering
what the folks were doing
back home in their absence.
Sure, there were occasional letters
and packages to ease the boredom
and provide the news they coveted.
But, these missives did not
always compensate for the isolation
and loneliness that filled the warriors’
hearts and minds as they
fought valiantly to protect their
country—and the freedom of people
in other countries whose names they
did not know. Some of the warriors
came home; others, sadly, did not.
Those who did come back picked
up the pieces of their lives and
moved on. They renewed marriage
vows and friendships as best they
could, and cherished the people with
whom they shared love and mutual
affection. For many of them, their
bonds grew stronger as they recognized
the importance of having other
people in their lives. That realization
is reflected in their attendance at
veterans’ functions. They appreciate
the folks at their sides more than
they will ever know (and frequently
more than the warriors are willing to
admit).There is a certain bit of irony
here, though.
Often, we do not get any insights
from the wives, sons, daughters,
friends et al who waited as their
loved ones fought thousands of
miles from home. Hopefully, we can
rectify that somewhat. We begin
here a series (hopefully) in which
correspondents tell us what it was
like to wait—and hope.
Let the series begin.
Just a Pen-Pal
By Edna Holmes
The turning-point of my life came
very early, when my cousin
joined the army in February of
1948. When he was sworn in at Love
Field in Dallas, TX, Charles Holt stood
with another seventeen-year-old lad,
named Holmes. The two became
friends, always standing together in
every line or formation in alphabetical
order.
After basic training at Fort Ord, CA,
they were shipped out to Japan, still
together and a long way from home and
all that was familiar. One day, Charles
suggested that his friend write to his
cousin in Texas. “She will write and that
way you will get some mail,” he said.
So it was in the fall of 1948, at age fourteen,
I received the first letter from
Louis Holmes-a polite, correct, and very
neat letter.
In the years following, I was to
receive hundreds, but this first one is the
only one I remember well. I was
impressed and wrote back wondering if
I’d get another. That started the pen-pal
correspondence which changed my life.
I liked writing letters, and my parents
were not concerned that I was writing to
a soldier in Japan. He was thousands of
miles away, and it was “safe.” In fact,
Louis soon became a familiar person to
the family, and a hero to my six brothers
younger than me, because he was a soldier.
I read his letters aloud and we
became more interested in news from
that part of the world. Though we had
never seen him, he soon became important
to us.
Within a year, the letters were coming
and going at a rate of at least one a
day. By then, Louis had decided we
were going to be more than pen-pals. He
sent nice pictures of himself and sheets
of airmail stamps to cover postage
expense. He also began talking about
“our” future! I was thrilled that this
smart, handsome soldier was so interested
in me-a fifteen year old country girl.
And there were favorable signs!
My girlfriend and I had heard that if
you sleep with a piece of wedding cake
under your pillow, you will dream of the
man you will marry. We could hardly
wait to get that valuable information!
When her older sister got married, we
kept our pieces of wedding cake and
tucked them under our pillows that
night at my house. Sure enough, I
dreamed about Louis! That is, I
dreamed about his picture, which was
my only frame of reference.
My friend didn’t dream at all. We
decided that the only thing we proved is
that if you sleep on a piece of wedding
cake, the next morning it will be flat as
a pancake.
In 1950, the news of Korea and a
possible war became a troubling factor.
Louis and Edna Holmes, June 10, 1951
September - October 2005
The Graybeards