Love connection (Wonderful, touching story of a vet and his wife...Tear soaked hankie alert!)

Growing up, Colleen McCarthy and her three brothers knew not to open the large cardboard box their mother, Darlene O’Leary, stored in the basement of their Helena home for half a century. One brother, Scott O’Leary, had snooped inside it as a young boy and was angrily rebuked by Darlene.

But when she unexpectedly died last September and their father moved to an assisted-living facility due to health issues, the siblings decided to sell the family home on Ninth Avenue. That forced Colleen and her husband Mike McCarthy to begin the somber task of going through her parents’ possessions, since her brothers no longer live in Helena.

Later in the VERY WELL WRITTEN article...

The enemy launched a counter-attack; Graham noted the ensuing confusion and rushed forward to help.

“In the face of intense enemy fire from automatic weapons and small arms, Sergeant Graham, with complete disregard for his personal safety, continually moved from one dangerous position to another without benefit of cover or concealment,” the typewritten letter states. “He frequently engaged in close-in fighting with the enemy and single-handedly destroyed seven of the enemy.

When the company was ordered to withdraw for consolidation of positions for the night, Sergeant Graham voluntarily remained with the rear guard and directed heavy fire on the enemy until he was mortally wounded by enemy fire.”

The shot went through his breast pocket, through the photograph of Darlene in the leather case.

If this isn't the basis for a major motion picture....!

"President Harry Truman sent Darlene two medals, a Purple Heart for being wounded in combat and the Silver Star for Graham’s bravery."

This is indeed a great story of love, heroism and lasting devotion.

This would make a great story(a book preferably which would be required reading in all High School History Classes).

Compare this to the three Purple Hearts, Silver Star and Bronze Star which John Kerry was able to obtain (I won't say earn) by playing the system and lying in after action reports over a four month and 12 day tour(one of those Months was in training).

When I was a boy in the '50's, my brothers and I "played army" a lot.

"You killed Joe, you dirty Jap", was a familiar, often used remark as one of us jumped up, budda budda budda blazing Tommy gun in hand rushing a Jap machine gun nest on Iwo Jima (or whatever recent war movie we had recently seen at the Rialto.)

At 17 I enlisted in the Army, fully expecting to be shipped to Viet Nam where (secret, heretofor undisclosed, little boy desire) I might jump up and sweep the bush with some gawdawful weapon (I knew nothing of guns, then) shouting "You killed Joe, you dirty gooks)

I never went to Nam in '65 .. instead, I was assigned to Korea and in '67 was dischrged, having gotten no closer to combat than the drinking buddy stories of returning vets awaiting discharge orders from a holding company.

Then I read stories like the one above ... and there will always be some angst because I never fought in a war.

With a strange pride for American men ... warriors ... I sit at my computer and meditate ... pray, if you will ... a silent, "Thank you" to a man that had an opportunity to fulfill HIS little boy dream of killing a Jap or a gook, and paid the ultimate price, made the ultimate sacrifice ... so I can sit at a computer and pray.

Thanks, Arnie ... be in Peace, Darlene.

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