Lessons for Life Love

 Lesson Purpose: To show that love is a powerful influence in our life and is the cement that bonds families together. The Lesson "It is impossible to love and to be wise." Francis Bacon "Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therein." BIBLE, Proverbs 15.17 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." BIBLE, John 3:16 "And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment." BIBLE, Mark 12:30 "And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." BIBLE, Math 22:39 Where did it all get started? Here's a little poem I wrote to my wife: Adam Said To Pat on Mothers Day Saturday, May 8, 1999 Adam said, Eve my dear, You've eaten the forbidden fruit. She looked at him and answered back, Yes, I'm getting the boot! He said to her, Eve my dear, I like your skin and hair, And I get a little tingle When with those eyes you stare. She said to him, I'll miss you so When Father kicks me out. Now don't you ever think of me; Never give a pout! He answered back with some regret, I'll dearly miss you too, If I didn't have a lot more ribs I'm sure with you I'd go. That's right, she said, You do have ribs a plenty more to spare, But won't you miss this little rib? Won't you miss my stare? She stared at him, he looked away, Then rubbed his perfect tummy, You know, he said, I have a pain, I'm really getting hungry. She bid him come and sat him down, And put his lunch before him. He ate the fruit and felt real good, "I'm going with you, honey!" What is love? For our purposes love is a strong affection for another, or others, based on family ties, personal ties, or the affectionate ties of lovers. Love may be admiration based on the qualities or common interest of others. Types of love are: The love of a child by its mother. The love of God as the Benefactor of mankind. The love of a young man and a young women who are engaged to be married to each other. Love is the basis of survival Think about it. A child requires extensive care from the day it is born until well into the teenage years. If a mother got tired of caring for the child and had no love for it, the care of the child would be left to others. If others did not surface, the child would parish. Unfortunately, some children are abandoned everyday.

Fortunately, most children are not abandoned. Back to Korea My infantry company in Korea during an attack on the Chinese picked up two Soviet trucks manufactured under the World War II Lend Lease Program, two dogs that we had to watch over or they would be eaten by our Korean friends, and two young boys, brothers who had lost their parents. We loved those Russian trucks. They were much more reliable than ours. They were exactly the same as General Motors trucks made during World War II. So what happened? The army took them away from us because they were not regulation issue. When we came down from the freezing top of Hill 1243, the highest mountain on the line, our US trucks had all been damaged by the freezing weather and Service Company had to take us off the line. The two dogs disappeared and ended up in a ROK army kettle. Yes, we lost the two boys too, now dressed in cowboy suits we got them through Sears and Roebuck. The American Red Cross found their grandparents. They took the boys from our dangerous combat area. The love of the American Red Cross workers for the Korean people and the love of the boys' grandparents gave the youngsters the bond they needed for survival in an awful war. War is the breeding ground for the alphabet soup of human indignities I had five Korean soldiers in my infantry platoon. One day, Ree Tay Hee was very sad. He had reason to be sad too. He had lost his father and two brothers to the North Koreans. He assumed they were dead. His thirteen- year-old sister and his mother lived in Seoul, which had been flattened by the North Koreans, the American Army, the Chinese, and then the American Army again. In fact it was my division behind the Marines who did the last flattening when they executed MacArthur's daring attach from the sea at Inchon. Ree Tay Hee's mother and sister were supported by his older brother who worked on the Korean Railroad. He fell under the train and was decapitated. Now mother and daughter were alone with no means of support except, possibly, prostitution.

 The story doesn't end there When I got home from Korea, I got a letter from a man named Chick. I believe that he was from Tucson Arizona and I would give anything to be able to find that brave man. Chick was a section leader and a forward observer for the 81 millimeter mortars. He replaced me as forward observer when our platoon sergeant was hit and I became Platoon Sergeant at age nineteen. Chick told me in his letter that Ree Tay Hee had been seriously wounded in the Iron Triangle. The situation couldn't have gotten worse. I don't know what happened to that family. I only know that I still have a great love for them and wish I could have been of help over the years. Let's hope that someone cared and gave them the love and aid they needed. There is a difference between the Korean People and Americans in regard to that War. When, I got home from Korea, nobody gave a hell of beans. Most people didn't even seem to know the war was on if you judged by their actions. Nobody but immediate family members and friends cared when American blood was spilled there. Even today, it's mainly the Korean veterans who care about the sacrifices made there. But the Korean people have a great love for the men from many lands that saved them from the North Koreans and the Chinese hoards. I've been back to Korea twice since the war. The first visit back was a traumatic experience. My talkative companion who was in Vietnam remained quiet while we flew over the mountains on which I had fought. He knew what I was doing. I was remembering every detail of the war as I knew it. I left the hotel in Seoul and took the shuttle down town. I went in to a shop and told them I had fought there. They showed me a ton of love and wouldn't let me take the shuttle back to the hotel. The owner got his car and drove me back. The Korean Government continually welcomes veterans back to their country, gives them a banquet and a special medal and helps them tour the old battlefields. That's the difference. They care. And care is just another way to spell LOVE.