[revwardoc]

My wife and I went to the opening ceremonies of theMoving Wall's visit to Gardner, MA this past Saturday. I've been to the Wall in D.C. so I really didn't think too much about seeing this one; until I did. I walked slowly from one end to the other, reading all the names until I came to one section that had a high school graduation photo propped up against it, and that's when it really hit me. Ijust stared at it and realized that I was looking into the face of someone who would be eternally 19 or 20, but someone who would never have the pleasure of saying "I do" while looking into the eyes of a girl he truly loved, who would never hear his baby cry for the first time, who would never have the opportunity for higher education, to succeed and fail for a hundred times, to spoil his grandchildren. Then I stepped back so I could take in all 58,000 names...and was overwhelmed with a feeling of shame and "Why not me, too?". There were several "Gold Star Mothers"who told their stories of the sons they lost and the pain of living without them. There were also several Vietnam vets who hid behind their sunglasses and held their grandkids a little closer. It was both a sad and wonderful event and I'm glad I went. I personally know 3 names on that Wall and have a passing acquaintance with all the others. Someday we'll all eventually be together for good, swapping stories and lies, passing a bottle, laughing at the jokes, crying over the sad tales. Maybe soldiers from other eras will come on over to see what all the noise is about and we'll teach each other a few things. Until then, we can only look at the fading photographs, re-read the tattered letters...and remember them.