Memorial Day is traditionally reserved as a time of mourning and remembrance for those who died while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. However, we are remiss in not also honoring and remembering those who served and survived, those who carry deep mental and emotional scars.
Often, when veterans are interviewed, especially older veterans, after a few words, chins quiver and tears flow. Memories of battles fought, difficult conditions, and friends lost, overwhelm with grief.
My Father’s WWII Service
My father served in the U. S. Army Air Corps during WWII. Following training in Alamogordo, New Mexico, and other locations, he was sent to North Africa. He was stationed in Algiers and Tunisia, flying bombing missions over Germany. On one mission, the bomb bay doors failed to open all the way. In a daring move, my father walked the catwalk between the partially opened doors, and manually forced the bombs to drop. If he hadn’t, the heaviness of the load would have depleted fuel before they could return to base.
Each mission was rife with tension, anxiety, and uncertainty. Each mission might be the last for someone, or for the whole crew. Each mission held the potential for capture or death.
On the day my father’s plane was shot down, he and his crew bailed out. Once on the ground, they didn’t know where they were, and walked until they came to a border. They faced a risky decision. Were they safe where they stood, or in eminent danger? They crossed the border and were later captured by the Swiss.
Escape
Occasionally, my father and other prisoners were taken into the town of Adelboden and allowed to receive Red Cross packages and make a purchase. My father noticed that each time he saw a certain man in town one of his fellow prisoners disappeared.
Finally, my father approached the man. Speaking to him in Swiss-German, my father said simply, “I want you to get me out of here.” The man shrugged and said, “I don’t know what you are talking about.” My father pulled up his sleeve and showed several watches he had accumulated during the war. “Does this help you understand?” he asked the man.
Weeks later, the man gave my father instructions and helped him escape through the Underground.
Learning
In recent years, I’ve been interested in WWII history and read numerous books on the subject. As with many of his era, my daddy didn’t talk much about his WWII experience.
Recently, cousins contacted me, asking for information about Daddy’s WWII service. Their son’s class was studying WWII. In a time when many want to erase the past, I’m glad teachers are still teaching history, especially the difficult parts. We need to know what happened and realize the sacrifice many made for our freedom. It’s important to honor and remember those who gave so much to stop tyranny and oppression.
Personal Battles and Freedom
After my father’s death, I uncovered an ancient cardboard box wedged into the back corner of the top shelf in his closet. Inside were remnants of his military service during World War II: a good conduct medal, his wings, war department ID, aircraft spotters’ guide, a 1943 Christmas menu from headquarters in Fortaleza, Brazil where he was stationed for a time, and the letter notifying my grandparents that my father was a prisoner of war.
When my father returned to America, he didn’t talk much about his experiences. One of his brothers told me daddy often sat in front of the radio, head bowed and arms on his knees, listening. If someone entered the room unexpectedly, daddy jumped, wary, eyeing the intruder with suspicion.
Today, my father’s post-war reactions would likely be labeled post-traumatic stress, but there was no name or counseling for it then. Daddy packed his emotional pain in a mental compartment and shoved it to the back of his mind in a similar fashion to the back-of-the-closet cardboard box housing the history of his military service.
Perhaps, although not a war veteran, your life has been fraught with battles, which left you scarred and defeated. Even now, remembering those battles brings emotional trauma and depression. You don’t have to settle for living in this state. God provides an opportunity for healing and freedom through faith in Jesus Christ. Give him your burdens, your trauma, and experience true freedom and forward motion.
“Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage” (Galatians 5:1 NKJV).
* Portions of this blog excerpted from “Remembrance, Sacrifice, and Freedom” and “Comforting and Encouraging Others.”
©CandyArrington
Candy Arrington is an award-winning writer, blogger, and speaker. She often writes on tough topics with a focus on moving through, and beyond, difficult life circumstances. Candy has written hundreds of articles, stories, and devotions published by numerous outlets including: Inspiration.org, Arisedaily.com, CBN.com, Healthgrades.com, Care.com, Focus on the Family, NextAvenue.org, CountryLiving.com, and Writer’s Digest. Candy’s books include Life on Pause: Learning to Wait Well (Bold Vision Books), When Your Aging Parent Needs Care (Harvest House), and AFTERSHOCK: Help, Hope, and Healing in the Wake of Suicide (B&H Publishing Group).
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