Fifty Years Ago Revisted, Part 4

by Grace A. Holliman 

A Reflection after the Visit

 There is a picture of my father standing near an ammunition box in front of his living quarters in Vietnam with one of the ladies who kept the offices clean.  Growing in the ammunition box on the far right are marigolds. The marigolds were planted by a tall, thin young soldier named Leo who left Vietnam before his one-year tour was over due to the death of his father. 

Below, a close up of Leo's marigolds.  They bloomed from October 1969 to at least late January 1970 when Dad returned home.   My father watered these marigolds after Leo’s departure, thus keeping alive a fragment of growth and beauty in an area devastated by gunfire, rockets and Agent Orange.  

Fifty years later, on sunny day in late August 2019, I witnessed a reunion. These two men, brought together briefly in a foreign country by forces beyond their control, reunited once again in a small town in Iowa. 

In human life, fifty years is a long time. It is a long time to suffer or to thrive. I believe it is human nature to experience both. One might assume that my dad’s reunion with Leo was spent reliving their time together in Vietnam, but that’s not what happened. 

Instead, they talked about all that had occurred since Vietnam. I discovered that both my father and Leo had been schoolteachers. They pursued hobbies and were active participants in their communities. Leo is an amazing cook (my dad is an amazing eater!) and we enjoyed pasta salad, fresh tomatoes and Iowa corn for lunch. 

The tears and hugs between my Dad and Leo were not due to sadness or grief from the past.

Right, Leo, Tom and Grace in the garden.

Their emotions appeared to be expressing appreciation - appreciation for the fifty years of life that was now behind them, appreciation for having had the time to contribute knowledge, beauty and kindness to the world and for not allowing the tragedy of war and the trauma of untimely deaths to have hindered their ability to experience lives of fulfillment.

I believe Leo and Dad shed tears of gratitude, knowing that so many did not have the chance to reunite as they did, fifty years after the war. - GAH