City - San Antonio State - TX Country - United States
About
I wanted to share this encounter my wife & I had yesterday on Memorial Day. We had been walking around the Ft. Sam Houston National Cemetery for about 15 minutes and were headed back to the car to change shooting locations when Robin spotted an elderly man walking all by himself along a line of headstones. He was walking very slowly and stiffly and using a cane with one hand and carrying a small red, white and blue bouquet in the other. Robin noticed that he was struggling to walk a little and mentioned he looked a little lost, like he couldn't find what he was looking for.
I went out to help him, introduced myself and offered to carry the bouquet for him. He thanked me, handed it over and told me he was looking for either plot 150 or 250, he couldn't remember. We offered to help him find it and as we set off to look for it he told us this story. He is 76 years old now. When he was 18, he and his life long best friend joined the Army together and were sent off to Korea. They were split up when they got there and two weeks later his friend was killed in battle somewhere along the DMZ, after rescuing 10 men who were pinned down by enemy fire.
Every year for 57 years, on Memorial Day he has brought flowers to his friend and his hero. I was so touched I couldn't help but cry. What a testimony to the true bonds of friendship. He could barely walk now, couldn't remember exactly where his friends grave was, but knew he needed to honor him. We found it and as I placed the flowers on the grave for him he quietly saluted his friend and walked with us back to his car.
I just wanted to share what I thought was an amazing story of true friends.
I can't remember his name, that doesn't matter. the story behind it is all that matters.
Saad, thank you so much for your words. I have never lived in an occupied country, so I can't even image what that must be like. You are very right, my post isn't a political statement at all. It was a reminder to me of the deep bonds of true friendship that run deeper than most people can understand. It is true that we all are in so many ways a band of brothers. Whether it be the ties of nationality or something as simple as a love of photography. That is what I wanted to share. This was an example of what it really means to care about a friend and show that love.
Hi Phil, though that this story about some American solders ,the same solders that are occupying my country right now,but I have found that what you have told us is not about some heroic actions of occupying other land ,but it is rather about some fine humans feelings that bond between us,and I think that you are telling about the same bond that connects me right now with you and some other friends from the same country that is and still occupying my country,and yes I find that the story you have told us is a fine one,and we are in need of such a bond during our lives as well as after we have passed away, in this regards I can not do anything but to salute that noble feeling that the man have,and you for giving him such help,and I think that the help you have offered ,is not less than the feeling he got for his diseased friend ,especially in this present time of which the morals that we know and have becomes some old fashion and an old style, thank you for sharing, my best regards to him,you,and your partner, Saad.
0 
{K:89003} 5/27/2009
