The Power of Testimony

SHAWN THORNTON || 37
acquainted, they spoke tentatively of a shared future. One
day in December before heading off to Korea, John went
to Will’s Jewelry in downtown Mishawaka, with its big,
landmark clock out front, and bought three matching rings,
one for him and two for Bev. He surprised her with them
on Christmas 1963. They weren’t exactly engagement rings.
After all, she was just sixteen. But they were a statement
of commitment, his way of saying, “I’m not walking away
from this.” What that meant, he wasn’t sure. He still saw
her as the pretty, mischievous, vibrant girl on whom he had
developed a teenage crush. But now their situation bore the
weight of adult decisions.
In Korea’s demilitarized zone, his head was full of its own
battles. I’ve got to be a man. I’m the one who turned in front
of that truck on Miracle Lane. I liked her before the accident,
didn’t I? Does that mean I love her now? Should I marry her
because of the accident? What’s my responsibility? Am I doing
this out of guilt? If the accident hadn’t happened, would I still
be interested in her?
Letters went back and forth over the ocean. John sent gifts
of beautiful Korean fans to the Gilvin sisters, and they wrote
back with thanks. The sisters spied on Bev as she wrote letters
to John at the kitchen table. Writing was so laborious for her
that it took hours to commit enough words to paper to merit
the stamp. Soon their frequent letters circled around the idea
of actually getting married and setting a date. Following his
gut and settling the storm inside his conscience, John confirmed
he would like to marry Bev. She received her parents’
approval. They thought Bev was young, but John was trying