In honor of anyone who has, is or will serve their country and may we never forget those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.
Disclaimer: I do not own Kickin' it or the song Letters From War
Kim's P.O.V.
The war had been ongoing for the last 2 years. No one knows how it started, but it effected everyone. It had been our senior year in high school when the drafting started. The military needed troops to fight, but they were more selective than people would have expected. They only wanted the best that they could get, and only male. This met strong opposition from the citizens, but the military logic was sound in the end. If everyone left to fight, their would be no one to raise the next generation.
I walked down the street. Ever since the draft this had become my daily routine after school. Rudy had been the first person I knew that was drafted, but he had been rejected due to the injuries he had sustained when he was younger. Then the guys had been drafted. I had been devastated when they all received their draft. Jerry and Eddie had thought that it was cool. Milton had freaked out, saying that he was too young to die. Jack...Jack didn't really react at all when he was around us. He just treated it like that's how fate had played dealt his cards.
I cried so hard when they were shipped off to camp. The buses had left in groups of tens, hundreds of kids all heading off to war. They weren't technically kids, but whatever. Two days later, one of the buses returned. With it came Milton and the first batch of rejects. He was so relieved when he realized that he wouldn't die in a war. He had received a full ride scholarship to any university of his chose, as long as he was hired my a company affiliated with the military.
One week later Jerry and Eddie returned. They had both been revealed after they had been discovered sneaking out after lights out. We all focused on school and waited for Jack to also get sent home.
He never came back.
We graduated, but no one was overly happy on that day. It was one of my worst days ever. I had always looked forward to graduating with all of the guys, but that didn't happen. I started going to school to get a basic education, I'm still not sure in what, and I don't care.
I knock on the door and Mrs. Anderson answers it.
"Kim, come in." She says when she sees me. I walk in, just like I have everyday for the last two years. I grew so close to her after Jack had left.
-Flashback-
It had been only 3 months since Jack had left. I've been visiting his mother everyday. And everyday we would sit and talk until the mail came. The instant she heard the mail truck she would get up and walk out to the mailbox. That day we heard for the first time from Jack. It was a short letter, and was hand written. There was no return address, but it was so good to know that he was okay.
She walked to the mailbox On that bright summers day
Found a letter from her son In a war far away
He spoke of the weather And good friends that he'd made
Said I'd been thinking 'bout dad And the life that he had
Thats why I'm here today And that the end he said You are what I'm fighting for
It was the first of the letters from war
I was so happy to know that Jack was okay, but I was worried about what he would have to face.
She started writing You're good and you're brave
What a father that you'll be someday make it home make it safe
She wrote every night as she prayed
It was the 7 month anniversary of when Jack had been drafted into the military. As usual I was walking to visit with Jack's mother, but this time something was different. Something felt wrong. The front door was wide open, but I couldn't see Mrs. Anderson. I quickly rushed into the house hoping that she was okay. I found her in the kitchen, sitting and sobbing at the table. I was about to ask what was wrong when I saw the tear stained letter that was sitting on the table.
Late in December
A day she'll not forget
Oh her tears stained the paper
With every word that she read
It said "I was up on a hill I was out there alone When the shots all rang out
And bombs were exploding
And thats when I saw him
He came back for me
And though he was captured
A man set me free
And that man was your son
He asked me to write to you I told him I would, oh I swore"
It was the last of the letters from war
After that letter the guys started to lose hope that Jack was still alive. Mrs. Anderson never gave up hope that she would see her son again. She would write to him daily, never receiving a response but never giving up.
-End flashback's-
And she prayed he was living Kept on believing And wrote every night just to say
You are good And you're brave what a father that you'll be someday
Make it home Make it safe
Still she kept writing each day
Two years have passed. There has been so many that have died for who knows what. Some people hate the soldiers that are fighting. Some people just ignore what they are doing. Only those of us who are personally connected to some one who was part of the war respected what the soldiers were going through. I was sitting in the front living room with Mrs. Anderson as we talked about how my schooling was going, and fun memories of Jack that we had continually returned to over the years. I am so inspired by how Mrs. Anderson has kept faith that Jack would return. Every time I felt like giving up on his return she would remind me that Jack would soon be home. Be it on this earth or in eternity. The faith that she had for her son is what pulled me through these last two years, and helped me to keep my sanity.
Mrs. Anderson was talking about when Jack had been four and started his karate training when she trailed off. She was staring out the window and her face had a look of shock and horror. I looked out the window and saw a black unmarked SUV that bore government license plates. The back driver side door opened and closed, as Mrs. Anderson slowly made her way to the door. This is what we had been praying against. The final confirmation that Jack had been confirmed as started to well in my eyes.
She opened the door and looked up at the man waiting on the other side of the outer screen door. I was watching from the living room and couldn't see what the man looked like. Mrs. Anderson collapsed to the ground and tears fell freely from her eyes. I started to get up to help her when a strong pair of arms reached down and pulled her up to her feet. A foot steeped past the door, and a duffel bag was thrown to the side. The man, with brown hair, brown eyes, and a unique mole on his check stepped up to embrace his mother.
Then two years later Autumn leaves all around
A car pulled in the driveway
And she fell to the ground
And out stepped a captain
Where her boy used to stand
He said "mom I'm following orders
From all of your letters
And I've come home again",
He ran into hold her
And dropped all his bags on the floor
Holding all of her letters from war
The bag that had been strewn aside had revealed what it had been holding tightly. Envelope upon envelope that contained all of the letters to war.
Bring him home
Bring him home
Bring him home
My first fanfic, and song fic. I'm not sure how song fics work, and I have a bad habit of often skipping over the actual song parts (Slaps self on the hand). If you have any suggestions, or advise I would love to hear it.
Once again I would love to give a shout out to anyone who has, is, or will be serving in the armed forces. You sacrifice so much for those of us who you will never know. And for the families that have given the ultimate sacrifice you are heroes greater than any idol that breaths the air.
~Kaden
