Eyes of a Veteran




I work in Northern Virginia. This means that often I am in contact with the military or retired military. Today was a case that I met 84 year-old retired Marine Corps Sgt. Major John Henry, a veteran of three wars (WWII, Korea & Vietnam). He was certainly a fascinating character. Like many I’ve met over the years, he was very proud of his service and had more stories than you could hear in a single sitting. He was shot twice, although he refused the Purple Heart, because, as he said, “I didn’t feel nothin’, and there were a lot more guys that got it worse than I did…”


He delighted in recounting stories which sounded horrifying to me (think death and destruction), and yet, he was as cheerful as any 84 year-old you’d ever met. In fact, if it weren’t for his crew cut, you may not know he was a veteran if you met him on the street. Although, admittedly, I don’t know what veterans are supposed to look like. I guess, maybe many veterans are similar in that way. Walking vaults, filled with stories and tales of bravery and horror, and yet, they are able to carry on and live fruitful, long lives away from the wars.

Currently, he is giving back in a different way, teaching and speaking at Quantico Marine Base, to young Marines. He admitted every time he speaks he gets choked up, seeing all those young men, ready to take off to whatever corner of the Earth. Maybe in 50 years, some of those very Marines will be doing what he is: talking to young Marines before they jet off to some far-away war. But maybe, if we’re lucky, there won’t be any wars to jet off to.











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