My grandfather served in WWII. He drove a tank throughout Europe. He was in the Battle of the Bulge. He also helped liberate a concentration camp. One of the stories my dad has shared with us about my grandpa was about the concentration camp he helped liberate. He was given order not to tear down the fences around the camp. My grandpa didn't listen to this as he saw the desperation of the prisoners. Rather, he took his tank and ran over a portion of the fence as to free the prisoners. What happened next was a memory that bothered him the rest of his life: the prisoners who, were so desperate and starving, ran to a rotting cow carcass and ate it. I love my grandpa so much and wish I could have been closer to him. I miss him.
My current war history obsession is the Vietnam war. I just finished a fabulous series called Vietnam in HD. I highly recommend that everyone watch this. Anyhow, during the Vietnam war, a lot of pilots were shot down and captured. John McCain being one of the captured POW's. Many of the prisoners were taken to a prison in Hanoi. The soldiers held there named it Hanoi Hilton. (the movie, Hanoi Hilton, is a great movie to watch) The Vietnamese refused to follow the Geneva conventions. Not only did they brutally torture the POW's, but they also refused to let the families of the POW's and MIA's know if they were alive or not. Because of this, a group of military wives gathered together and formed a group to put pressure on the Government to get info and possibly the rescue of all POW's and MIA's. Eventually, a non-profit group was formed by a group of students and named themselves VIVA-Voices In Vital America. http://www.miafacts.org/bracelets.htm The mission of this group was to be advocates for the POW's and MIA's and their families. They decided to have bracelets made with the rank, name, and date missing of a POW or MIA. The card that came with the bracelet states, "It should be worn with the vow that it will not be removed until the day the Red Cross is allowed into Hanoi and can assure his family of his status and that he receives the humane treatment due all men." When I learned about the bracelets I knew I had to have one so off to eBay I went. There were a few names/bracelets listed. There wasn't any added information on any of the names listed but as I read through each name, I kept going back to one particular bracelet. I liked the name and I liked that the man listed was USAF. My brother is a USAF pilot and a veteran as well. Anyway, I purchased the bracelet and received it yesterday. I was thrilled to find out that the name listed on my bracelet is of a man that was a Utah resident. What are the chances, seriously? His name is Captain Richard Van Dyke. Here is a link to his story as told by a comrade: http://www.virtualwall.org/dv/VandykeRH01a.htm
Here is his picture from the aforementioned site:
Gosh, he was good looking.
Here is the bracelet and card I purchased:
On this Veteran's day, I have my oldest brother Daniel, on my mind. His career with the USAF is coming to a close as he is set to retire in a few weeks. I am so proud of him and his family. Their countless hours of service and sacrifice is inspiring. I am also so grateful that he was protected from harm during his deployment. May we always remember and retell the stories of the many men and women who sacrifice so much on our behalf. Let's keep their legacy alive.
I love you brother!
