David Deschenes

REMEMBERING JIM

Like most people, I remember where I was and what I was doing during the attacks on the World Trade Center on 9/11. But I also remember a day in 1983. I was tending bar – fixing a gin & tonic for an older man. The owner of the bar brought the phone over to me, saying it was a friend with an urgent call. My friend called to tell me that there had been a bombing in Beirut and that one of our good friends, Jim Silvia, was killed along with 240 other servicemen. I was stunned, and it took me a few minutes to realize what had just happened. How could this be? Jim had not gone over there to fight. He had joined the Marines as a way to find some direction in his life. This wasn’t going to be his career – it was a stopping point on his way in life. The owner of the bar relieved me for the night, and I sat down at one of the tables to collect myself before going home.

The older man I had just served sensed something was wrong and sat down at the table. “Bad news son?” he asked. I told him what had just happened, and he said he knew from my face that I had just lost someone to an untimely death. It turned out that he was a retired vet. He’d seen it all in World War II, and he said the look on a young man’s face at this kind of news was no different whether it was 1941 or 1983. “The best we can do is move on for them,” he said. “Trust that our friends had made the right choices no matter what the outcome.” And that was true in the case of my friend. No one forced Jim to do anything he didn’t want to. He knew there was danger, and while his reason to join the Marines was not to fight but to create opportunities for his future, he was extremely proud to serve his country. And we were all proud of him. We continue to be proud of Jim.

So as we enter the second week of our Take Five to Give 5 campaign, on this Memorial Day we ask that you take pause to remember those fallen while serving their country. And take some time going forward – whenever you can – to thank or to remember someone who has served. Because whether a vet has died in battle, from an extended illness, or of natural causes, the fact is that they have been willing to put themselves in harm’s way for their country – for us.

David Deschenes
United Way of  Western Connecticut

 

Comments

[Michael Johnston]

What a great post. It is a great gift to remember those that have served our country by giving to help those that they promised to protect. Thanks for remembering and reminding us.