Truthfully, I never read much about the Korean war. I don't recall studying it in school. I don't remember many people talking about it. I have relatives who fought there and I heard some of their stories, but somehow the significance of this war eluded me.
Merry Helms and her book Prairie Boys at War has sharpened my focus. I bought the book for Justin, and when he saw the size of it, he sighed. But once he began to read it, he continued. And he has recounted what he has learned.
John Durand writes : "In this riveting narrative, Helm sought out the fast-disappearing Midwest veterans to----reconstruct their countless acts of sacrifice and heroism, their almost unbelievable suffering, and the horror of captivity experienced by many----I am reminded of Winston Churchill's tribute to the Royal Air Force----: 'Never have so many owed so much to so few'."
I never realized how many American's were prisoners of war in Korea. Merry Helms writes "Many surmise that when all was said and done, the Hadong-Taejon prisoners may have suffered a fatality rate that surpassed anything ever endured by American prisoners in any war". The accounts in her book from the survivors tell of atrocities that numb the mind.
Prairie boys going to war. Cousin Eddy said when the recruiting officers asked him what he could do he told them he was 'just a farm boy'. A couple of weeks ago when we visited with him, he began to recount his own war stories. In his early eighties now, his eyes are clear, his hand steady, and his mind is sharp. He told us of some humorous events, and then he clicked his tongue and sadly said he lost some good buddies.
I think of our young men leaving home and everything they know and love. Going to a foreign country where they are hated. Protecting the good from the evil. Coming back home to settle down and raise a family. Putting most of the memories on lock down, and trying to forget what they saw.
I believe in prayers for our soldiers, prayers for their families, prayers for the wisdom of our leaders and the military. Prayers that all those young soldiers in any war have not died in vain. And prayers that all of us will remember those who sacrificed so much to keep America free.
Have a good and Godly Veteran's Day, Tuesday, November 11
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