The year was 1966 and, for children my age, the days were carefree and fun. Adults didn’t have the worries that they do today, and often, especially during the summer months, our parents didn’t see us all day. Once we had finished our breakfasts, we quickly ran out of our homes and usually weren’t seen until dinnertime. We played all day long and we had fun. We rode our bikes, played in the woods, sang songs and, because of the times, played army. I even had a rifle.
Being nine years old in 1966 was happy-go-lucky, safe and full of innocence. I loved my life; everyone knew everyone and I loved Massapequa. My best friend and I, also had a ‘serious crush’ on my older brother’s friend, ‘Dinka’ -- he was the nicest of all and didn’t tease us, well, not much anyway. When Dinka said ‘hi’ to us… well, we just died… and went to heaven, of course.
It wasn’t the case for my older brother and his friends, however. My brother, Jackie, was eighteen in ’66 and he, as well as all of his friends, were drafted into the army that summer.
All of them were to report to Fort Dix in one week.
Since we lived in the suburbs, our block was massive with kids everywhere. Sadly, each household was affected and all of the eldest sons had to report to Fort Dix the following week. All of the mother’s, including my own, had tears in their eyes. All of the father’s, including mine, looked pensive. And all of the boys, including my quick-witted brother, looked nervous … really nervous. Reality had hit Massapequa and the older boys were off to war.
That’s when our lives changed and Vietnam became personal.
I remember when Ronny Kovic returned home. (Oliver Stone’s “Born on the Fourth of July" story). There were no more jokes and there were many tears. East of Park Boulevard, where my friends and I usually met other friends, another reality soon hit us: a memorial was built for the first casualty from our neighborhood, Dinka. Dinka never returned home.
While these boys were fighting for our freedom, my friends and I still played and were still free. For each war, a price has been paid severely for our freedom which should always be honored and never taken for granted. Freedom’s price is high and is never free.
When I sight our flag, I am reminded and am grateful. I am thankful for all of our heroes of yesterday and today for their courage and strength. In closing, I am reminded of a poem which was written in 1981 by LCDR Kelly Strong, USCG.
Freedom Is Not Free
I watched the flag pass by one day,
It fluttered in the breeze.
A young Service man saluted it,
And then he stood at ease.
I looked at him in uniform,
So young, so tall, so proud,
With hair cut square and eyes alert,
He'd stand out in any crowd.
I thought how many men like him,
Had fallen through the years.
How many died on foreign soil.
How many mothers' tears,
How many pilots' planes shot down,
How many died at sea,How many foxholes were soldiers' graves,
No, freedom isn't free.
I heard the sound of Taps one night,
When everything was still,
I listened to the bugler play,
And felt a sudden chill.
I wondered just how many times,
That Taps had meant "Amen,"
When a flag had draped a coffin,
Of a brother or a friend.
I thought of all the children,
Of the mothers and the wives,
Of fathers, sons and husbands,
With interrupted lives.
I thought about a graveyard,
At the bottom of the sea,
Of unmarked graves in Arlington,
No, freedom isn't free.
Judi Lynn Lake has kept up with leading edge business trends throughout her varied and successful career. She had already had her ‘15 minutes of fame’ over and over again before starting her family. Judi and her family now reside in South Carolina but, having been born and raised on Long Island, NY, it is clearly evident that she will always be a "New Yorker." Today, she successfully runs her own advertising agency which handles everything from logos, branding and package design while she continues to work closely with self-published authors from design to promotion.
» left by David Tanguay (1 year 191 days ago.)
Very nicely done Judy, no freedom isn't free on the contrary it is earned through generations of toil and sacrifice. Your timing for this article was perfect Respond to this comment
» left by Judi Lake(2,631) Judi Lake (1 year 191 days ago.)
Yes, you are right! Thanks for your comments, it means a lot! Happy Memorial Day! Respond to this comment
Was this article helpful to you? Leave a Public Comment or
Question:
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
or organization.
