THE WALL

This is a tough post for me to write. It is full of emotion and sentiment and I had started it the night my daughters little dog passed away. So I set it aside and decided I needed to write it.

If you look at the tall girl in my header picture that is my mom Cecilia's cousin Hedwige. She lost her only son in Vietnam and today I will honor him and all the men and women who died in that awful conflict they called Vietnam.

James Louis Turner was born on February 7, 1946. in La Junta, Colorado. He died on April 26, 1968 at Quang Nam, South Vietnam. He was a Cpl E4 in the USMC.. His mother passed away on October 24, 1976. I doubt she ever recovered from the grieve of her loss. James began his Vietnam tour on November 22, 1967. He was a ground casualty  and his body was recovered. His name is on the Wall Panel  52E Line 25. Please visit his name on the wall if you are ever in Washington D.C. He took an assignment at the last moment, and the operations clerk who typed his order was the man who was suppose to go. For whatever reason God had he took James instead.  That gentleman  Ronald Campbell deserves my respect and my prayers as he is here and James is gone. But for reasons none of us will ever know we live and we die on God's terms.

I thought perhaps you would share a little personal history with me here. I am sorry I do not have a photo to show you. When the traveling wall came to Thornton two years ago I could not take myself away from it. I went there every day for five days and I walked the rows and looked at names and thought how many families were torn because of their losses. War is an awful thing.

Looking back and reflecting on Vietnam I say our nation was very disrespectful to those men and women who served. I could tell you more personal stories but then I would never stop to post. I just know many were hurting and our nation turned their backs on these fine upstanding men and women. They were sent there by a government who refused to stick by them when they came home crippled and depairing. If you do not believe me, come to my city and take a walk on the 16th Street Mall in downtown Denver. You will see dozens of Vietnam Vets lying in doorways, begging with handmade signs.

They did the world a great service and the world disrespected them.  My thoughts and prayers are with each and every family that lost their loved one in that awful war.

As always, when I am praying for God's perfect timing, He ultimately gives it to me.

"Those who walk uprightly enter into peace." Isaiah 57:2

Never forget.