Old Soldier

He made his way slowly to a seat just in front and to the left of the podium. He sank into the chair wearily and with a grimace of pain; just a little old man dressed in a tan uniform of some indeterminable fabric. But the breast of the uniform was covered with medals-badges of honor for battles fought and survived.

It was another Memorial Day Observance. He'd been to so many. When he looked around, he saw uniforms from all branches of the service. There was a sea of them. He turned his attention to the stage where the guest of honor had just stepped in front of the microphone. The speaker was Four Star General William Payton. He tapped the mic to test it and then began to speak.

It was the same speech the old man had heard innumerable times. It was about pride and the sacrifice of soldiers�?life's to ensure freedom for the country. Nevertheless, the old man set up just a little straighter and felt his chest swell with pride. As the General spoke, the old man's eyes wandered to the wave upon wave of grave markers behind the general there in Arlington.

His eyes filled with tears as he remembered his friends, many scarcely more than boys, who had died.

In the crowd he had noticed some young soldiers fresh from Iraq and Afghanistan. How very like his brothers in arms they were. He decided when the ceremony was over to speak to as many of them as he could before he had to leave. He knew he wouldn't be able to stay too long.

He was already so tired.

The ceremony was over after the 21-gun salute and the mournful sound of taps had echoed across the graves. He got up slowly and approached the first of several young men. He talked with him for a bit and then moved on to another until he had spoken to three. Then he walked away.

Each watched him as he walked among the monuments slowly heading for the back of the graveyard. Then they drifted together and the first said " That old man told me about battles he had fought in in World War ll and Korea. It was simply amazing to hear from someone who was actually there. He even talked about Iwo Jima."

The second one said, "He told me about battles he had fought in in WW l, and said he was with Teddy R. and the Light Brigade! How old is that guy?"

The third soldier shook his head and said " Fellows, you are not going to believe this.

When he spoke to me, he told me about the battle of Gettysburg! He described the sound of the cannons booming across the battlefield, and wept as he told me about all the men who died that day from both sides. He said it was his honor to have served his country and said that that was the first time he had done so. He said he was 16 at the time, and that he had been a soldier the rest of his life."

The three looked across the rows of stones to where they had seen the old man last. He was gone, simply vanished while they had been talking. Each felt a little chilled. Whom did we just talk to?" They hurried to check among the rows. In the very last row, they came upon a stone inscribed merely "Old Soldier".

Anita Callender2005

all rights reserved