Scars of their Service!

Encarta Dictionary defines Scar (noun) 1. A mark left on the skin after a wound or 2. A lasting effect left on somebody's mind by a personal misfortune or unpleasant experience.

People often tell me their Father or Grandfather would never speak of the horrors of war. They might have an anecdote you know, one of those funny little stories about something they did or they would make light of a horrific tale just to ease the pain.  I remember my Great Uncle Bud joking about “Operation Jubilee” the invasion of Dieppe on August 19, 1942, all he ever said was “You’ve never seen fireworks like that in your life”.  My Uncle Bud was shot that day and taken P.O.W. and was incarcerated until the end of the War in 1945. 

He passed in the late 80’s and it was at his funeral when, I learned from other family members what really happened to Uncle Bud that day in Dieppe.  I found out that when he was shot he was actually paralyzed and left for dead. As it turned out, he was conscious, but unable to move or speak. He told them how he heard friends saying “Ah Bud got it”, but he couldn’t communicate to say he was alive. He reiterated the fact of how he was almost crushed by a German truck as it was clearing the carnage on the beach after the battle and the allies had retreated. He made a point to say how thankful he was for the German Surgeon that actually put him back together and saved his life, but he never spoke of the horrors of being a P.O.W. I guess some things are better left unsaid.

Most of the time, he was a good man he had good days and then there were times that he had bad days. Sometimes he would fall into a bottle and be a miserable S.O.B. for days on end and we never knew why. Looking back and knowing what we know now about P.T.S.D. it all makes sense, he was in pain, he was suffering, but he just kept quiet.

As kids, I guess we were just too young to fully comprehend the sacrifices of war and the affect it has on people. It’s sad that we don’t find out things that we can understand until we get older and it is even sadder that he had to keep reliving those memories trapped in his mind all by himself.  I guess in his mind by not saying anything Uncle Bud was just protecting us once again.

So remember every soldier has a story, but most are never told. Quiet heroes should never have to suffer in silence.

R.I.P. Uncle Bud!