A veteran's sad end

[dhermann1]

It wasn't all glamour and glory. This is a sad story from the Buffalo news.
http://www.buffalonews.com/home/story/504141.html

 

[carter]

What a heart-breaking story. It's one we all need to remember. Far too many young men and women went undiagnosed and untreated in the wake of WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam and other conflicts. For some, like Mr. Kielich, their war only ended with their passing away. For their families, who expected the person they knew to come home, the tragedy was there every day, hoping to see their loved one whole but never having that hope fulfilled.

As sad as this is, there is comfort in knowing that Mr. Kielich is no longer tormented by his experiences during WWII.

May he Rest In Peace.

 

[Kitty_Sheridan]

How many came home like that?

Thanks for sharing that, breaks your heart.

 

[B. F. Socaspi]

That hit home.

My family has a lot of sad stories with WWII, no happy ones. My paternal great uncle was the only survivor when his ship was bombed. He became a drunk. My maternal great uncle fought from D-Day (not Omaha, I forget which landing) through the Pacific theater. One fateful day, after the Japanese were no longer an issue and the unit was simply patrolling, a leftover mine was triggered and everyone around him was killed horribly. Men he had served with all that time. He barely survived, the only one. He never would speak a word again in his life. My paternal great grandfather was 33 with 4 kids and a wife when he was drafted. He was sent BEFORE the front lines, in one of the most dangerous assignments. His was to find and disable mines while under heavy enemy fire. He never spoke of the war until he was dying, when he told my father how much he regretted it. He was German, and he often had to kill people that looked like him and spoke his language hand-to-hand.

 

[dhermann1]

The fact is they're coming home in like condition today, as we speak. They need all the help and support we can give them.

 

[Lily Powers]

I have the utmost respect for The Greatest Generation, who gave more than I can possibly imagine. Despite all his changes, his family never stopped loving him. Very sad story. May he rest in peace.

 

[ScionPI2005]

May he rest in Peace. That is a sad story, and one that is unfortunately not uncommon for Veterans. The affects of war on the human psyche are truly irreversible.

 

[Brinybay]

That's a tear-jerker. RIP, my hero.

 

[KilroyCD]

What a heart-breaking story. It's one we all need to remember. Far too many young men and women went undiagnosed and untreated in the wake of WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam and other conflicts. For some, like Mr. Kielich, their war only ended with their passing away. For their families, who expected the person they knew to come home, the tragedy was there every day, hoping to see their loved one whole but never having that hope fulfilled.

As sad as this is, there is comfort in knowing that Mr. Kielich is no longer tormented by his experiences during WWII.

May he Rest In Peace.

Carter, you summed up my feelings exactly.
May he rest in peace.