Memorial Day, Graduations and Life Continues
Eitherway you'd better love the journey . . .
by Ross Vick
DALLAS--This past Monday, Memorial Day, I took my kids to my grandfather's grave. There we placed two United States flags upon his gravestone. He has one emblem on his marker: a Combat Infantry Badge. It doesn't tell the whole story: two purple hearts and a bronze star. Nor does it tell of the sacrifice his company made while attacking and breaching the Seigfried Line at Saarbrucken Germany in March of 1945. The Germans were fighting desperately to keep the invaders from their homeland. Armed with carbines and hand grenades my granddad led his company of men across open fields, across the dragons teeth tank traps and into the killing zone of the German bunkers, pillboxes and reinforced machinegun emplacements. He lost about half of his company in the attack--so much so they had to be refitted for combat. They achieved their immediate objectives and led the way for the 7th Army Group to flow through the breach they made in the German defenses.
The kids listened as I told this story of a man they never knew, but with one shares a common name: Ross Vick. We also remembered my Uncle Carl Andrew Brannen Jr., a nineteen year old navy pilot, so anxious to get into the fighting that he gave up on the V12 program to become a navigator and gunner on a Navy VPB--their version of a B-24 Liberator. His craft and crew went down on May 9, 1945 during a low level bombing run and ground fire struck the "Tokyo tanks" they carried in their bomb bay. His loss changed my family and his life is celebrated with bitter sweet as we remember the young man and anguish over the what might have been of it all.
And we remembered my maternal grandfather Carl Andrew Brannen Sr., who at the age of 19 was a private in the United States Marine Corps, 4th Brigade in the USArmy 2nd Division in France from June of 1918 through the following year in the Army of Occupation. He and his comrades fought in the 5 major campaigns assigned to the 2nd Division: Belleau Wood, Soissons, St. Mihiel, Blanc Mont Ridge and the Muse-Argonne offensive. His Brigade was replaced numerous times due to their horrendous casualty rate. Over 85,000 United States soldiers, sailors and Marines were killed in battle or died as a result of their wounds from June through November of the year 1918. We can't imagine tolerating such a thing today.
And we recalled our friend John Hurst, also a Marine F-4 Phantom pilot who did not return from a close ground support mission over the jungles of Vietnam.
These individuals and their comrades are the reason we take a moment to recall, remember and reminisce about what was, what could have been and what our obligation to honor their sacrifice must be.
This week I get to enjoy the graduation from high school of my third of four children: Brannen Elizabeth Vick. Brannen is a terrific person a dedicated student when the subject interests her and she is determined to leave the world better than she has found it. Now, if she would only make the same commitment to her room, closet, bathroom and vehicle interior. She's going to Rhodes College in Memphis. Never heard of it? Me neither until a few months ago. It's a treasure of a campus. It serves students looking to gain a bachelors degree, so those looking for advanced degrees move on from there to other schools. Their acceptance rate is over 90% into every advanced program sought. The upshot of that is the students get to study with all of the front line professors. And there's and average of about 10 students per class. It's that kind of hands on, personalized attention that makes going to a smaller college so worth while. Plus the music and food is great and the concert circuit is world class. In her vernacular: "It's all good."
And so now we move into summer. Julie and I are 5 years away from empty nesting. We'll be raising our fourth and youngest child as an only. Something my wife can relate to as she was an only. We've got a busy June with gigs every week. We're excited about our July trip to Carlton Oregon to see Kenny Rankin and indulge in some wine tasting opportunities and hopefully escape what will surely be the usual hot Texas summer. More playing opportunities appear each week and we'll keep you posted on all of that. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to send me an email. I hope to see you out and about this summer.
Stay cool.
ross/trueheart
