Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1471720
Regardless of their mode of departure on the way to war, whether by train, bus, steamer, or plane, each person said their tearful goodbyes, hugged moth - ers, dads, wives, husbands, or their own children, for the very last time. I wonder about their thoughts, their emotions, their fears. Like me, they likely tried not to dwell on the pain that those left-behind would surely endure should tragedy strike overseas. Like me, etched indelibly upon their minds was every de - tail of their family's faces, their voices, their home, the sights-sounds- and scents of all that they loved, as every passing minute they were carried further and further from home. During my three depar - tures, I mentally reviewed the checklist of things I had done, leading up to deploy- ment, to make life easier for my family while I was away, and what safeguards I had tried to prepare for them, should I not return. I will forever remember the guilt I felt watching my stoic little girl as a single tear traced its way silently down her cheek, and see - ing my wife struggling to smile for me, through her own tears, as I left. I have been on patrol beside those that war would later claim forever, attended down-range fu - nerals of comrades while the Middle East sun glinted off dog tags dangling from an inverted rifle, flanked by their combat boots, and capped by their helmet. I have watched hard - ened Delta Force warriors in tears, at my nephew's Fort Bragg funeral service, as their Commander bel- lowed an insistent final rollcall, repeating his name three times to a silent hall. Late in my career, I pre- sided over stateside funer- als of warriors that had initially escaped physical injury, during deployment, only to succumb to the torments of deployment terrors months or years hence, becoming one of the "22" that take their lives in the U.S. every day. Simply put, some of the finest humans I have ever known are gone forever. It's a common saying: "when you take the oath of enlistment, you sign that infamous 'blank check' and hand it to the government," while you, and your family, pray that our nation's lead - ers will use your life wisely. Regardless of the nature or label of the conflict: world war, protracted po- lice action, peace-keeping mission, or prolonged war on terror, every-single- man-and-woman on the casualty list, regardless of color, creed, or credentials, has at least these things in common… they were pre - cious to their families, they dutifully packed their gear and left home not know- ing what fate might await them, then, they faithfully executed their missions….. and never saw home again. And many of us who did return to our families, our lives, our futures, have something else in common, "survivor's guilt." Regardless of our spiritual bent, after the shock and anger of the heart, the mind seeks an - swers: Why were we spared? Why not them? And, we are left to ponder such ques- tions… and struggle with the silence that follows. That struggle, too, is real. That struggle lasts. And it is often a co-conspirator with PTSD. Needless to say that, now, for me, "Taps" is ex - tremely personal. So, as we honor their sac- rifice, the loss of their most precious gift, we bow our heads recognizing the ter- rible anguish of a mother receiving that dreaded tele- gram, a spouse never see- ing their cherished mate again, children losing their beloved father or mother, and all the ways that the fabric of families, and fiber of our nation, is frayed, torn, and altered forever, I believe that we can best show our gratitude with a personal pledge to protect this nation that they died serving, to always hold the Constitution precious, as they swore to do, to live the best American lives that we can, and be ready for the next challenge, external or internal, hoping that there will always be men and women with the courage to "go in" during times of crisis and danger, willing to write that "blank check" written by everyone who ever took the oath of enlist - ment. Thank you. Siloam Proud C4 n Wednesday, June 29, 2022 Siloam Springs Herald-Leader "I will continue to fight for our conservative Christian values and use my experience as an educator and small business owner to once again represent the good people of this district." of this district." DELIA HAAK ROGERS Continued from Page C2 50-year-old Beetle still running strong By Nathan Hudson Special to Siloam Proud If you have lived in Si- loam Springs for any length of time then you have probably noticed a vintage 1972 yellow Volkswagen Beetle puttering about town. Over the many years, this car could have been seen parked in the old high school faculty parking lot next to West Jefferson Street. In the summertime it could be seen in the parking lot on East Jefferson Street across from what used to be Allen Canning's city plant. Currently this yellow VW can be seen in the parking lot of the Walmart Neigh - borhood Market on South Holly Street. Sometimes you might catch it parked along- side a dirt road out in the country, and if you looked around you would see the owner of the VW fishing in a nearby pond. The car was purchased in Russellville, Ark., at a dealership in April of 1972. The young man was 5 years into a long 28-year teaching career. Since that purchase 50 years ago the car has had four engine overhauls, two paint jobs, several minor repairs and a couple of years ago a fairly significant restoration. Older VWs such as this came with a 4-speed manual transmission, no air conditioning and really very little ventilation other than rolling the windows down. The valves on this air-cooled engine needed adjusting every 6,000 miles. The car only produced around 62 horsepower. The price when brand new was about $2,300 dollars. Wow! Talk about inexpensive transportation; spread out over 50 years that comes to an annual payment of $46 dollars! This car belongs to a longtime resident of Siloam Springs. He was a 'favorite' high school science teacher to many former students of Siloam Springs High. His room was a favorite hangout during lunch. Students would bring their lunch to this science teacher's room and watch spirited ping pong tournaments played on narrow lab tables with a Styrofoam strip wedged between the tables for a net. Alas I digress. The car is still his main means of transportation at the grand age of 50 years old. That's got to be a re - cord in some book! Many of you reading this article have guessed the name of the owner — Mr. Bill Nation! Bill Nation was my co - operating teacher when I was finishing my degree at John Brown University. It didn't take me long to figure out that Mr. Nation liked to fish. I was invited to at least two heated dock fishing marathons (that's what I called them) over on Grand Lake. We took the yellow VW, which was only 10 years old at the time. We fished to the wee hours of the morning. I never was sure if those trips were re - quired for a passing grade or not. I didn't ask, and I did have fun as we always caught fish. It was my thinking that someone that buys a new car and is still driving it af- ter 50 years deserves some recognition. So, hats off to Mr. Bill Nation and may the yellow VW and its owner keep puttering about town for many years to come. Another fun fact is that Mr. Nation is married to the Honorable Mrs. Judy Nation, the mayor of Si - loam Springs. ••• Nathan Hudson is a resi- dent of Siloam Springs. The opinions expressed are those of the author. 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