Most kids my age are into rock or sports heroes, but my own personal hero happens to be my grandfather, Amos, who died last year.  He was 70 years old.

Amos Gladdenhutten served in Vietnam during the sixties.  I heard all about it from my mom (his daughter) and also his wife, Virginia, who is my grandmother (and his widow).  He got a Purple Heart for wounds encurred in battle, and he hardly ever talked about the war: it still gave him nightmares, even all these years later.

Amos saw friends and close aquaintances horribly injured or even killed right in front of his eyes.  He did all he possibly could to stay alive, even if it meant killing the enemy.  He served in the US Marines; he was a gunner on a tank.  He took his military career very seriously, and served our country well until he was injured just before getting out of the military.  They flew him to Germany, where they patched him back together and fixed his wounds; they then sent him home to America to recover. 

He recovered, but he still had issues with ongoing pain in his back and legs; he had to use a cane for walking.  He also had emotional trauma; he often had terrifying nightmares that would rip him from a deep sound sleep and was often gunshy: loud, unecpected noises would cause him to virtually leap out of his skin.  One had to be extremely careful what to do or say around Grandpa Gladdenhutten.

He took his war memories with him to the grave when he died.  Only then could he have peace.

Grandpa Gladdenhutten is buried in Arlington Cemetary in Arlington, Virginia.  We went to see his grave last year and went to the Vietnam War Memorial when we visited Washington, D.C. last year on vacation; it was a very powerful and unforgettable experience.  I think of him, and all who gave their lives, today on this Memorial Day; I think about him and realize just how much of a true hero he was and how much he is missed.  If it were not for people like him, we would not be free today as a nation; it is because of him that I pause, reflect, and remember.

So, on that note, thank YOU, Grandpa Gladdenhutten, for fighting for our country!  May God watch over you and know that we still love and miss you very much!  I honor your memory today and stop to say prayers of thanks and gratitude!