NPR– Allen Hoe, 62, served as a combat medic in Vietnam from 1967 to 1968.
His son, Nainoa K. Hoe, served as a first lieutenant infantry officer with the Army’s 3rd Battalion in Mosul, Iraq. He died there on Jan. 22, 2005, at the age of 27. On Memorial Day that year, Allen traveled to Washington, D.C., from his home in Honolulu for services being held at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, often referred to as “the wall.” Army nurses returning home from the war were being honored there that day.
“I thought it would be great to welcome these young trauma nurses with some special Hawaiian leis,” Hoe says. When he saw Maj. Paula Couglin walking up the path he said, “Here, this is a special gift from me to you.”
Couglin lowered her head so Allen could place the lei on her and saw a button Allen had pinned to his chest. She put her finger on it and said, “I know him.” “How do you know him? He was my son,” Hoe recalls saying. “I was the trauma nurse at the crash unit where he died,” Couglin said. “I will never forget that face.” The two hugged and Couglin cried.
Allen could tell that Couglin was tense. “I want you to know that my son was a warrior,” he told her. “He absolutely recognized all of the risks that were involved.” Couglin decided to tell Hoe something that had been bothering her. It was her job to prepare his son’s body for a last viewing, but she couldn’t get his eyes to close.
Hoe laughed.
“My son would sleep with his eyes partially open,” he told her. “His men … were never certain what they could do when the lieutenant was sleeping, because they never knew if he was sleeping or if he was just awake watching what they
were doing.” Reflecting on the chance encounter, Hoe says, “It was one of those miracles at the wall. It was absolutely remarkable.”
Thanks to all Veterans.
I feel so bad for all the families who have lost sons and daughters because of the Bush and Cheney lies. I wonder how Bush can sleep at night. Cheney, bah, he doesn’t care.
like i said in the next story, people that go out to kill civilians do not deserve respect. they only did our country a disservice.
#2. Memorial Day isn’t about any one war.
I’m glad we have patriots who will serve. Thank you all.
#2
Its sad we don’t have an minimum IQ requirement in the world. Hearing the opinions of people like you just re-enforces the need.
Have you ever served the country? People like you never do.
You can criticize the decision makers, criticize the American people for following a fool like Bush and Cheney, but don’t criticize someone who makes sacrifices his or her life for a higher purpose.
You are a coward.
#5 i serve my country by paying taxes, working hard, taking care of my family and giving what i can afford to those in need, NOT by going to other countries and killing people. If you think that is serving your country then I’m surprised you can spell IQ.
A coward is someone that goes along with something thats wrong without standing up for whats right, and that I am not.
#6 eaze, aka cowardly cocksucker;
If none of us had served, if we had no military where do you think you’d be now.
A lot of us have paid more than just taxes to help ensure that you can freely spout your ignorant, cowardly bullshit.
Hey Ease, Why blame the troops? Why don’t you blame the people who put them there?
I apologize if I’ve taken anything away from this wonderful and heart warming story.
#7 im all for defending our country, just on our own borders.
#8 i blame both.
the irony is that i’m being called a coward here yet one of the main guys who put this whole scam together (Cheney) actually was a coward and got out of being drafted 5 times.
if there was a genuine threat to my country, i would fight with every ounce of strength to defend my people. but iraq or afghanistan were no threat to us. if they were i would have seriously considered enlisting.
Today isn’t the day for this bullshit, lets keep politics out of it today. The only sin that is unforgivable to me is ingratitude. Hundreds of thousands fell to give you the free speech you demand. Curb your thoughts for a day to remember them.
#11 sorry but no can do. the illusion that we have free speech because of these wars of lies does not fly with me.
“the only sin that is unforgivable is ingratitude.”
So if your family were slaughtered in front of you, that would be ok as long as the murderers country was grateful that their army had killed your family? To me that gratitude would be an insult to my familes grave. But hey, thats just me.
This debate on this day is offensive in the extreme.
I’m Canadian so I don’t know how it works in the US. Something that is easy and important that anyone can do is write a letter each month to your troops overseas – in our case Afghanistan. It doesn’t have to be a long letter, but it should be heartfelt, and let them know that you think about them frequently, and deeply appreciate what they do.
It only takes a few minutes and means an awful lot.
I heard this on NPR and almost cried. It is a very special story and I am glad I heard it.
It really brings home the human cost of WAR.
Another (NPR) post. Which means the rest of the time we usually put down the military
Thanks to all Veterans.
Yes thank you! The only reason we can debate on this forum the way we do is to all our veterans – including Conscientious Objectors who still served in their own brave capacity.
We would do well to equal let alone surpass those before us.