Author's Name: Tina Michael

Title: "A kid at the time"

I believe it was 1967 or 68. My two brothers and I had just come home from school earlier that day, It was pretty much a normal day, my older brother still wasn't home yet. I believe by this time he had already dropped out of school.  I believe he came home after dinner, Mom and him went down the hall to talk (Dad was working overtime) and boy, it was like all hell breaking loose. Us kids went down the hall, mom was coming back down crying and carrying on. What happened we asked?  He's done and enlisted in the Army she said. She was crying, my brothers and I looked at each other.  Being kids not really knowing what to say or do. It will be ok mom. She said you don't understand.  My older brother was trying to console her. She was so upset. He had dropped out of school his path wasn't looking so bright, I guess. So this was the only thing that could pull him up. You know looking back he was right. We were to young to fully understand WWll or Korea. But we knew this wasn't good. It sounds crazy but after the dust settled and mom calmed down.  My brothers and I looked at each other and started arguing on who's gonna get his room. Crazy I know. I don't remember when he left. I remember she couldn't wait to get his letters. She would cry at night or during the day off and on. The letters came, you know on that special military note paper and envelope. She would read them to us or let us read them. He made it back safe. But he stayed in for twenty years and then left. But, I knew exactly how she felt when my oldest signed up for Iraq . Oh, by the way, my other older brother got his room.