BROTHERS IN ARMS
By: Trivette Lover Heather
In Honor Of Memorial Day:
Nash Bridges awoke to an odd sound he heard coming from his living room. It was so unnerving. He felt fear but it quickly turned to worry as he recognized the sound, the sound of sobs coming from his father.
He slid open his bed room door quietly and stood for a moment baffled at the sight. He feared the worst. He stepped down onto the floor, slowing approaching his fathers side. Without trying to startle him, he softly placed a hand on his shoulder.
Nick looked up a little startled. Tears dripping down his face. Nash didn't say anything, but the expression on his face said it all.
"Its okay son, everything is alright."
Nash couldn't believe his ears. Was he missing something? How could everything be alright? He looked down and saw an opened photo album, pictures of people and places he had never seen before.
"Who are these people dad?" Nash finally spoke.
Nick took a deep breath placing the picture in his hand back into the photo album.
"They were my brothers."
It took Nash a minute to understand what Nick was saying.
"The greatest bunch of guys I have ever known and will ever know."
Nash found himself holding back a few tears of his own.
"I tried to live on the best I knew how in their memory, now I just don't know…I just don't know…" He started to sob.
Nash decided to take a seat next to Nick and casually placed his hand over his.
"Don't know what Nick?"
Nick composed himself for a moment. "If I've done a good enough job with my life"
Nash shook his head. "Of course you have Nick, you had three beautiful children, a wonderful wife, an honorable life Nick, for anyone, its more than a lot more have done."
Nick nodded. "I wish they were here with me Nash, I'm the last one left."
Nash had put the pieces together and knew the men he spoke of were his shipmates in World War II.
"We put our lives on the line for each other, the type of honor you hardly ever see today. But that day, that day I couldn't save em, I just couldn't…"
"No one asked you to Nick."
"That's the thing son, it went without question, we were brothers ya understand? brothers."
Nash tried to compare the comradery he had for people at work with his dads, but war takes a different mind set. It is for the strong and brave. He was proud of his father and regardless of how long ago the war was, he tried to understand that a war never leaves a soldier.
"I try to think about them every day, but its special days like this that really hits home."
Tomorrow was Memorial Day. Nick had been asked to attend a veteran's dinner in their honor.
"I'm sorry dad." Was all Nash thought to say.
"Don't be sorry son, I'm not, no soldier is ever sorry, we did what we had to do for each other and for our country."
Nash smiled and watched his father reach for a few pictures. He started to name off the men and where they were from. One was Billy Johnson, from Boston, another Jake Grayfield from North Carolina, Jack Sylvie from Michigan, Steve Walker from Texas, and Nick Bridges from California. All were soldiers. All were special in their own light. All were brothers in arms.
These mist covered mountains
Are a home now for me
But my home is the lowlands
And always will be
Some day you'll return to
Your valleys and your farms
And you'll no longer burn
To be brothers in arms
Through these fields of destruction
Baptism of fire
I've watched all your suffering
As the battles raged higher
And though they did hurt me so bad
In the fear and alarm
You did not desert me
My brothers in arms
There's so many different worlds
So many different suns
And we have just one world
But we live in different ones
Now the sun's gone to hell
And the moon's riding high
Let me bid you farewell
Every man has to die
But it's written in the starlight
And every line on your palm
We're fools to make war
On our brothers in arms
By: Trivette Lover Heather
In Honor Of Memorial Day:
Nash Bridges awoke to an odd sound he heard coming from his living room. It was so unnerving. He felt fear but it quickly turned to worry as he recognized the sound, the sound of sobs coming from his father.
He slid open his bed room door quietly and stood for a moment baffled at the sight. He feared the worst. He stepped down onto the floor, slowing approaching his fathers side. Without trying to startle him, he softly placed a hand on his shoulder.
Nick looked up a little startled. Tears dripping down his face. Nash didn't say anything, but the expression on his face said it all.
"Its okay son, everything is alright."
Nash couldn't believe his ears. Was he missing something? How could everything be alright? He looked down and saw an opened photo album, pictures of people and places he had never seen before.
"Who are these people dad?" Nash finally spoke.
Nick took a deep breath placing the picture in his hand back into the photo album.
"They were my brothers."
It took Nash a minute to understand what Nick was saying.
"The greatest bunch of guys I have ever known and will ever know."
Nash found himself holding back a few tears of his own.
"I tried to live on the best I knew how in their memory, now I just don't know…I just don't know…" He started to sob.
Nash decided to take a seat next to Nick and casually placed his hand over his.
"Don't know what Nick?"
Nick composed himself for a moment. "If I've done a good enough job with my life"
Nash shook his head. "Of course you have Nick, you had three beautiful children, a wonderful wife, an honorable life Nick, for anyone, its more than a lot more have done."
Nick nodded. "I wish they were here with me Nash, I'm the last one left."
Nash had put the pieces together and knew the men he spoke of were his shipmates in World War II.
"We put our lives on the line for each other, the type of honor you hardly ever see today. But that day, that day I couldn't save em, I just couldn't…"
"No one asked you to Nick."
"That's the thing son, it went without question, we were brothers ya understand? brothers."
Nash tried to compare the comradery he had for people at work with his dads, but war takes a different mind set. It is for the strong and brave. He was proud of his father and regardless of how long ago the war was, he tried to understand that a war never leaves a soldier.
"I try to think about them every day, but its special days like this that really hits home."
Tomorrow was Memorial Day. Nick had been asked to attend a veteran's dinner in their honor.
"I'm sorry dad." Was all Nash thought to say.
"Don't be sorry son, I'm not, no soldier is ever sorry, we did what we had to do for each other and for our country."
Nash smiled and watched his father reach for a few pictures. He started to name off the men and where they were from. One was Billy Johnson, from Boston, another Jake Grayfield from North Carolina, Jack Sylvie from Michigan, Steve Walker from Texas, and Nick Bridges from California. All were soldiers. All were special in their own light. All were brothers in arms.
These mist covered mountains
Are a home now for me
But my home is the lowlands
And always will be
Some day you'll return to
Your valleys and your farms
And you'll no longer burn
To be brothers in arms
Through these fields of destruction
Baptism of fire
I've watched all your suffering
As the battles raged higher
And though they did hurt me so bad
In the fear and alarm
You did not desert me
My brothers in arms
There's so many different worlds
So many different suns
And we have just one world
But we live in different ones
Now the sun's gone to hell
And the moon's riding high
Let me bid you farewell
Every man has to die
But it's written in the starlight
And every line on your palm
We're fools to make war
On our brothers in arms