A letter to an American Legion Buddy
Yesterday we honored a fallen Legionnaire comrade.
After we (the American Legion's Honor Guard) returned to the Legion's Post from the cemetery, as we have so many other times, we once again gathered around tables telling stories and remembering other times and friends.
These are special days as we veterans tie the friendship knots tighter with our memories of those who have gone before us.
As the day moved towards late afternoon; a few start remembering more that they care to and the stories got a little more personal and close.
I sometime refer to these stories as "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" and sometimes The Uglier.
As our chicken plates became only bones, our bellies full and our thirst quenched, we start to clump into small groups or just twos and threes; a Legionnaire buddy came over and ask me if I would like to read a story that he had written. He told me that he only writes what he feels. The story by that Legionnaire was very simply called "WHY".
As I read the first story, I believe Jim quickly saw how moved I was with his words and knowing the subject of this story, which just happened a few weeks ago here in Southern Illinois and it is The Uglier part of what we American can be or are.
Jim told me that he wrote other stories and asked if I would like to read them. Well, the first one that I read was so moving that I even walked out to his truck to get some of the others. He told me to take them home and read them at my leisure, I did, but not at my leisure. The power of that first story forced me to quickly read the rest of the stories that he had given me. These stories gave me such an insight into another's psychic that I felt so privileged to have been asked to read these stories. I ask Jim if I could put his stories on the Zeigler hometown website. Jim humbly replied that he would be honored and I quickly returned with "no, I would be honored"
I hope others will be so moved as I was when I read these and if they are also military or vets, then they may realize that they are not alone.
Thanks Jim
Larry Christy, MSgt, Retired, USAF
James D. Hubbard of Zeigler, Illinois
Author of Stories
I have put Jim's stories on this website
for others to enjoy.