Me and Henry
Gerry Storm
mesmo@gilanet.com
Thu, 20 Mar 2003 10:01:46 -0700
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Me and Henry
It just happened that on the first day of the new war I had an =
appointment at the VA Hospital in Albuquerque. Throughout the 5 hour =
drive I was tuned in to NPR. Other than the news it was a lovely day for =
crossing New Mexico, without a doubt a place of great beauty and =
breadth.=20
The entrance to the hospital grounds is adjacent to the entrance of =
Kirtland AFB where a crowd of protestors was gathered, flanked by =
mounted police. Flashing them the peace sign (long time since I'd done =
that) I drove to my appointment. Albuquerque has a sizeable Peace =
contingent, well organized and quite visible. I've thought about moving =
closer the "The Q" to join them.
The best thing about a VA hospital is the attitude of the staff, very =
upbeat and utterly devoted to the patients. The heaviest thing is the =
sight of the patients themselves, many of them quite advanced in age, =
every one of them crippled in one grotesque way or another by an enemy =
they fought as kids. They too have a good comraderie. (One group in =
Southern New Mexico operates a shuttle bus service taking vets from =
their homes to the VA hospital--no charge to the patients, the drivers =
are volunteers.) They call one another "partner" or "brother" or "kid".=20
The hospital provides various contraptions like walking aids and braces =
and even little motorized carts. Some of the guys have attached small =
flag poles and decals to their carts. Most of them are multiple =
amputees.
At a table in the cafeteria I met a woman who was in the service the =
same time as me. She had been driven in by her granddaughter, some 250 =
miles. They were Native Americans. We reminisced about C-119's, the =
"Pregnant Guppy's" of the Korean War era.
I had planned to stay the night and drive back this morning, but as I =
was checking at the accomodations desk they noted that I was from Silver =
City. "Will you be driving back to Silver City?" I was asked. "Yes," I =
said, "In the morning."=20
"We have a gentleman from Silver City who needs a ride home. He came in =
this morning on the shuttle but his appointment ran an hour over and he =
is stranded. We can put him up for the night if you will drive him home =
tomorrow."
Then I saw him, a little guy, maybe 80, all twisted below the waist, =
wide eyes and a mouth that was always open. He wore a leather cap and =
matching jacket. He got up and came over to me, moving very awkwardly =
with two canes, a motion that was quite fluid considering his handicap. =
He smelled of nicotine. Propping one the canes against a leg he offered =
his hand, "Hi Brother," he said, "I'm Henry."
"Hi Henry," I smiled, taking his hand, "I'm Gerry. You want to spend the =
night or go home now?"
"I didn't come to spend the night. Didn't bring a kit or nothing."
"OK, let me get my van. I'll pick you up at the main entrance in a few =
minutes."
So, as this first day of the new war turned to darkness, me and Henry =
drove the 5 hours back to Silver, listening to the war news on the radio =
and talking about war and history (he was born in Santa Rita, a town =
that was literally disassembled in order to mine the copper that lay =
beneath it.) When we got to his house, he handed me a crumpled $5 bill =
and what was left of a pack of cigarettes. I helped him to the ground =
and he walked toward the house with that complicated yet polished gait =
that enabled him to be ambulatory.
I was wishing the George Bush could meet Henry, could spend a day with =
the boys at the VA hospital. Maybe it would open his eyes. It sure =
reminded me in the most profound way as to why I am on the other side.
Gerry
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<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Me and Henry</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>It just happened that on the first day of the new war I had an =
appointment=20
at the VA Hospital in Albuquerque. Throughout the 5 hour drive I =
was tuned=20
in to NPR. Other than the news it was a lovely day for crossing New =
Mexico,=20
without a doubt a place of great beauty and breadth. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The entrance to the hospital grounds is adjacent to the entrance of =
Kirtland AFB where a crowd of protestors was gathered, flanked by =
mounted=20
police. Flashing them the peace sign (long time since I'd done that) I =
drove to=20
my appointment. Albuquerque has a sizeable Peace contingent, well =
organized and=20
quite visible. I've thought about moving closer the "The Q" to join =
them.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The best thing about a VA hospital is the attitude of the staff, =
very=20
upbeat and utterly devoted to the patients. The heaviest thing is the =
sight of=20
the patients themselves, many of them quite advanced in age, every one =
of them=20
crippled in one grotesque way or another by an enemy they fought as =
kids.=20
They too have a good comraderie. (One group in Southern New Mexico =
operates a=20
shuttle bus service taking vets from their homes to the VA hospital--no =
charge=20
to the patients, the drivers are volunteers.) They call one another =
"partner" or=20
"brother" or "kid". </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The hospital provides various contraptions like walking aids and =
braces and=20
even little motorized carts. Some of the guys have attached small flag =
poles and=20
decals to their carts. Most of them are multiple amputees.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>At a table in the cafeteria I met a woman who was in the service =
the same=20
time as me. She had been driven in by her granddaughter, some 250 miles. =
They=20
were Native Americans. We reminisced about C-119's, the "Pregnant =
Guppy's" of=20
the Korean War era.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I had planned to stay the night and drive back this morning, but as =
I was=20
checking at the accomodations desk they noted that I was from =
Silver=20
City. "Will you be driving back to Silver City?" I was asked. "Yes," I =
said, "In=20
the morning." </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>"We have a gentleman from Silver City who needs a ride home. He =
came in=20
this morning on the shuttle but his appointment ran an hour over and he =
is=20
stranded. We can put him up for the night if you will drive him home=20
tomorrow."</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Then I saw him, a little guy, maybe 80, all twisted below the =
waist, wide=20
eyes and a mouth that was always open. He wore a leather cap and =
matching=20
jacket. He got up and came over to me, moving very awkwardly with two =
canes, a=20
motion that was quite fluid considering his handicap. He smelled of =
nicotine.=20
Propping one the canes against a leg he offered his hand, "Hi Brother," =
he said,=20
"I'm Henry."</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>"Hi Henry," I smiled, taking his hand, "I'm Gerry. You want to =
spend the=20
night or go home now?"</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>"I didn't come to spend the night. Didn't bring a kit or =
nothing."</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>"OK, let me get my van. I'll pick you up at the main entrance in a =
few=20
minutes."</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>So, as this first day of the new war turned to darkness, me and =
Henry drove=20
the 5 hours back to Silver, listening to the war news on the radio and =
talking=20
about war and history (he was born in Santa Rita, a town that was =
literally=20
disassembled in order to mine the copper that lay beneath it.) When we =
got to=20
his house, he handed me a crumpled $5 bill and what was left of a pack =
of=20
cigarettes. I helped him to the ground and he walked toward the house =
with that=20
complicated yet polished gait that enabled him to be =
ambulatory.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I was wishing the George Bush could meet Henry, could spend a day =
with the=20
boys at the VA hospital. Maybe it would open his eyes. It sure reminded =
me in=20
the most profound way as to why I am on the other side.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Gerry</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></BODY></HTML>
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