Something About Uncle Ray

For the most part, Uncle Ray was a quiet

man, a thoughtful man who would speak

his mind when he had something of value

to say. He was an economical man in his

own way, wasting no time on the frivolous

or mundane. He had seen war and death in

his day, fought with the Army’s Second In-

fantry Division at the Battle of the Bulge

in World War II. He never spoke of the

carnage he had seen and survived. He did,

however, tell me a story about pushing

through Germany and arriving at Pilsen,

Czechoslovakia with his unit toward the

end of the war. Great town, Pilsen, he

would say. Some of the best beer in the

world brewed there. And he and his bud-

dies looked forward to quenching their

thirst after a long and hard fought war.

Damn Jerry destroyed all the breweries

when they had withdrawn from the

place, Uncle Ray told me once, a hell of

a shame, he said in disgust, shaking his

head. After the war, Ray had given some

of his medals to his older brother, my dad.

Ray didn’t need extra reminders of the

death and destruction, the ugliness he had

witnessed during the war. And although he

never complained, I’m sure that he suffered

from PTSD which he carried with him for the

rest of his days. Knowing that I had an affinity

for the military as a child, my dad passed Uncle

Ray’s medals along to me figuring, I suppose,

Ray wouldn’t care to see them ever again. After

the war, Ray eventually got married and helped

raise five children. And life, as it has a tendency

to do, moved along. Well, long story short, some

forty-years later and upon one of my visits to Ray

and family, I brought one of his medals along with

me. It was The Combat Infantryman Badge…

(The Combat Infantryman Badge is a U.S. Army Badge,

it has a blue bar, the color that is associated with the

Infantry. The musket is adapted from the Infantry Insignia

of Army Branch of Service. The oak leaf cluster symbolizes

steadfastness, strength and loyalty. There are basically

three requirements for award of the CIB. The soldier

must be an infantryman satisfactorily performing infantry

duties, must be assigned to an infantry unit during such

time as the unit is engaged in active ground combat, and

must actively participate in such ground combat.)

I wasn’t sure how Uncle Ray would react to my

returning this symbol of his meritorious service

to brothers and country. Uncle Ray was a

quiet man, a thoughtful man who would speak

his mind when he had something of value to say.

On this day, the tearing in his eyes and affirming

smile of pride and appreciation spoke volumes.

Chris Hanch 11-14-19