Anyone who saw last month’s story about the wounded veteran being carried by his wife could not help be moved. What might not have been obvious by many was reflected in an article in Military News’ “Spouse Buzz.”
In “Spouse Buzz,” the journalist who is a military wife, noted, “We’re… surprised by America because instead of the pity reaction, which the military community so often entertains from our nation, it is one of damp-eyed jubilance over the beauty of sacrifice. And that’s the reaction we’ve been looking for all along.”
When my father-in-law returned from WWII without his leg (he stepped on a German foot mine while carrying an arm load of dynamite), pity was not the order of the day. The entire nation was affected.
Many returned home with permanent injuries. Americans accepted these veterans and most were given their due. Vic Blomquist was one of the first to receive a car with automatic transmission.
His disability did not stop him from participating physically in his family’s life. He did many things, including swimming with his children. Some may have gaped at his stump, but it was generally accepted without comment.
Comments came later in his life from his youngest grandchild. My Caryn was so enamored of her grandfather’s truncated leg, that she would proudly tell complete strangers, “My grandpa has a wooden leg.”
To my knowledge my mother-in-law, never carried her husband, but I know she supported him. He was a great father and husband with a strong supportive mate. He also never let his disability dampen his zest for life and fun.
We still recall him at age 80 jumping on the trampoline with his giddy young granddaughters. It was a sight to behold. My sister-in-law feared for his safety, and still shudders at the memory.
