Making this Memorial Day memorable Published May 21, 2009 By Master Sgt. Mark Reuss 81st Fighter Wing Public Affairs office OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea -- I can't tell a lie. I use to not put much thought into Memorial Day earlier in my life. Yes, I am ashamed to admit it. Today, if you were to ask someone what their favorite holiday is, don't be surprised when they tell you, "Christmas" or "Thanksgiving." But I am here to tell you that about six years ago, my sister showed me some letters from my father that has truly changed my perspective on "Memorial Day." Without a doubt, I do think a lot about Memorial Day. On Memorial Day, I make it a point to talk to my children about my father's service. You see, my father served in Korea and Vietnam. Between both wars, he served a total of eight years. He passed away when I was a teenager. My relationship with him was never strong. He used to drink very heavily and so we just never talked very much. His enlisted years were pretty much a secret to me to me and my two sisters. In fact, just thirteen days after my mother passed away from a long battle with cancer, he remarried a woman that no one in our family even knew. Our relationship was never strong so this incredible news made our relationship much more difficult. My father was never one to talk about his experiences very much-only that he was a sergeant and that he was in Korea, Germany and Vietnam. Most questions pertaining to his war stories were replied with one word, "yes" or "no." About once a week, he would have nightmares that would wake us all up. He would never accept our offer of help. Instead, he would just tell us to "go back to bed." After his death in 1993, I began to get curious about his career. I wrote to an office in St. Louis, Missouri, and got started on his incredible history. This, coupled with the letters maintained by my sister, Karen, helped me learn a lot more about him. My father wrote his letters to our aunt talking about his experience during the Second Korean Winter, which as it turns out, was a very significant time in the Korean War. He made references to how cold Korea was in November when he arrived and that several men that landed with him quickly came down with hypothermia and had to be escorted to the doctors. My father wrote about many sleepless nights and wondering what this "20-year old boy" got himself into. It surprised me that he admitted to crying in private on several occasions while bullets were flying and mortars seemingly never stopped. I only saw my father cry once and that was at my mother's funeral-he was a very private man. In December, 1951, my father lost his high school friend to enemy gunfire while they were walking on patrol duty. Ironically, they were talking about what they were going to do when this "damn war" was over. "It could have been me," he wrote about Carl's death. "I wonder when this war will be over. This is hard." After his friend was killed, my father began to accept his duty with a greater purpose. He was complemented by his commander, Major Roberts, as a "fine infantryman." On several occasions, he was involved in violent firefights that lasted hours and hours-but to him they felt like days. In one final letter, he spoke about a firefight between him and a young North Korean soldier. The North Korean's gun jammed and my father opened fire. There is no celebration in taking another person's life during any war. My father coped with this situation by constantly reminding himself of his family back home in Oklahoma City. Finally, on two occasions, he mentioned jets that "saved the day." They likely were from the 51st Fighter Wing which is so interesting because I am now assigned to the same unit fifty eight years later. Over the years, I have learned so much about my father. Our military is filled with great stories from many different battles. I am always amazed at the stories of valor and courage displayed by our veterans. Without question, I know that many of you have family that served our great nation too. Pretty soon, the young Airman that are arriving to our squadrons will be the next group of "veterans" one of these days. We are in good hands and here is why ... I was pleased to hear from a young Airman in a recent First Term Airman Center class. He was a Security Forces member. When I spoke to the class about why they decided to join the Air Force, many of them mentioned school, family, experience, and better way of life. This particular Airman never raised his hand and so I asked him why he decided to join. He stood up to answer and he turned to the entire class. His answer was very surprising, but very welcoming to me. "I joined because my father served in the United States military. I am proud of what my father did for this country and I feel that I could repay just a little of that by serving too." Ditto!