Today I had a test scheduled that was going to take 4 to 6 hours I had been dreading this test and that long wait time all week. This morning I get up and travel to Huntsville for my test thinking that I couldn't wait for it to be over. I had to do a test then wait 3 hours and do another test Uhhhhh. At 8:00 they call me back and I do my first test it took maybe 20 minutes then they sat me down in a waiting room to wait the 3 hours until my next test. There were about 6 of us all decked out in our hospital gowns staring blankly at the TV (can you say BORING). That all changed when this elderly man sat down beside me.
He started talking to me like elderly people do just making conversation. We talked about his kids his brother that passed away a couple of months ago, how pork was bad for your heart. We talked and talked then he told me he was a WW11 decorated vet. He began telling me that one day he was sitting on his front porch reading comics and his mother told him to go check the mail. In the mailbox he found a letter addressed to him that said Greetings from the President of the United States he was being drafted into the war. He had to go to Montgomery to get checked out and his dad was sure they would send him back home. He told him you are to scrawny to go off to war, but we will drive down to see you before you go if they do pick you. He said he arrived in Montgomery on the day they had told him to be there and was told he would be heading out the next morning to Korea. He called his mother and said I'm leaving tomorrow and tell dad they did pick me. He said that was the last time he seen his mothers face for 5 years.
He was sent to Korea as an 18 year old boy to fight in a war that he really didn't know much about. While he was there he was awarded a lot of honors. He didn't go into detail about what they were for. Then he said that the interpreter that they were using had a sister he called her Jennie she nursed him through a sickness he got from not boiling his water, she showed him were all the trails were from the villages they fell in love. One day while he was out on patrol he found a little boy wandering around a village that had been destroyed both of his parents were killed he brought the little boy back to camp with him and ask Jenny to take care of him. Closer to the end of the war he got his paper work started to bring both Jennie and Tim back to the United States with him. He said his commanding officers did not approve and one night around two o'clock they came and got him and told him they were shipping him home. He declined of course wanting to stay until Jennie's and Tim's paperwork came through but he was told he had no choice. He told me even after he got back to the United States that he stayed in contact with her for the next 20 years. As I was enthralled in his story the nurse came into the room and called my name to go for my second test the 3 hours had done went by and I haven't even noticed. I was actually a little disappointed that I was having to leave and couldn't hear any more of his stories. When I got up to leave I shook his hand and told him it was a pleasure talking to him and thanked him for his service to our great United States. This just goes to show that even though you are dreading something so bad that a little blessing can come along and make your day so much better so thank you Mr. Harwell for being my blessing today.
Until Next time
XOXO
Michelle
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