As everyone knows if you go into stores, Valentine’s Day is February 14. They have every kind of candy imaginable and cards from funny to just a tad too syrupy. Being the stoic individual that I was trained to be in the military, I truly have a hard time expressing my feelings.
One day I was driving to a Veteran’s home to take him to a doctor’s appointment at Hines and it hit me. Martha Reeves and the Vandellas were singing “My Baby Loves Me.” I was listening to the words and actually got a tear in my eye.
Yeah, yeah, I know. A mean combat Veteran has gotten soft. For those of my generation, you know the song. For the younger generation Google it.
My beautiful and caring wife, Jan, has been there for me through the good times and the bad. She has put up with my idiosyncrasies in my constant battle with PTSD. She was there for me during my knee replacements, hip replacement and when I almost died from Agent Orange complications. Without her unquestioning support, I’m not sure I could have survived.
When we tell people that I asked her to marry me the first night we went out, they think we were a little crazy. But hey, that is us.
Six months later we were married, 19 days after that I was in Vietnam and 10 months later my beautiful daughter was born. When I gave her that last hug and kiss and boarded the plane that took me to Vietnam, I never thought I would make it home to be with her again. By the grace of God and plain dumb luck, I made it.
Jan was waiting for me when I got off the plane at Dulles at 0 dark 30 in December 1968. Fifty three years later we are still best friends and celebrate each day of life together.
I’m really not that good at expressing myself, so all I can say is, “Jan you are now and will always be my Valentine.”
