Remembering Friends Who Served
As an undrafted 19 year-old man, John Thomas was conflicted. He felt a deep calling to serve in Vietnam, but he also felt a strong obligation to work his family’s ranch and grow the legacy of his father.
He woke at 5am to milk the family’s small dairy herd by hand and often considered how his life may have been different had he enlisted.
“I really admired my friends who served. And I sometimes wondered if it would have been a better path for me,” said John.
In the years that followed, he built a home by hand, grew his young family and went into town once-a-month to country dance with his wife and friends.
In many ways, he had the life that over 58,000 service members longed to return to. Thomas celebrated the friends who came home and mourned the ones who did not.
“I heard all the stories around the cafe table,” said Thomas. “Those people are real heroes and it hurt me to see they didn’t always get the welcome home they deserved.”
Thomas attended many memorials. His wife often brought grieving families food, flowers or a helping hand with a church service.
Today, #wearbluetoremember exists to do the same: remember those who served, assist wherever we can, and honor the sacrifice of so many.