

When I started thinking about this challenge and what to do for H I decided to write about heroes. There are so many from the books I've read that I just adore but I decided to do a post about one of my real life heroes instead. My great uncle Allen.
There have always been photos of Allen around the house. This is my favorite and one I have in my dining room. He is my grandmother's older brother and someone I never got the chance to meet but have gotten to know and love nonetheless.
Allen joined the marines when he was just 17 years old in the fall of 1943. He shipped out for training in Hawaii before heading to Iwo Jima.
Allen was a runner and ran messages back and forth between the people in charge and those in the field. He ended up being injured by a piece of mortar fragment and was being sent home. He begged the doctors to let him stay with his company but they refused. We seem to come by our rebellious side honestly in our family. Allen didn't like that decision so he stowed away on a small boat heading back to the island and snuck back to his company since he didn't think his injury was all that bad. A few weeks later Allen was shot by a Japanese sniper and killed while he was leading medics to injured soldiers in the field so they could be treated and evacuated. He had just turned 19 a few days earlier.

The second photo is of Allen and his best friend Clarence who I believe he met during training. Clarence kept in touch with our family after Allen was killed and even named his son after him. Our families still visit and spend time with each other. Clarence sends funny email fowards to my mom and I'm friends on Facebook with Allen. Technology can me a wonderful thing sometimes. Now that I'm an adult it amazes me even more how many people Allen was able to touch in so few years. That another family loves him as much as we do and honor him like he was their own. It always touches me that Allen (the non family one) will post about my great uncle on memorial day or on his birthday or to remember the day he gave his life for his country. He was a brave young man and I'm honored to be a part of his family.
Very nice reading about a real-life hero! They don't get enough credit. I wrote about heroes for "H" as well, but stuck to the fictional kind. At the end of the day though, no matter how compelling written characters are, they don't even come close to measuring up to the flesh and blood heroes that we often take for granted.
ReplyDeleteVery nice post!
J.W. Alden
I always love reading about real life heroes. I love a good fictional one too but man there is just something about knowing such amazing men and women really exist.
DeleteI love this. I think it's wonderful when people recognize real heroes as well as literary ones. Your great uncle sounds like an amazing person. Great post and happy A-Z blogging!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for coming by! I agree completely! It's so nice when real heroes are brought to light. I love reading stories about all the amazing things people do in real life!
DeleteWhat a terrific way to pay tribute to him! His legacy lives on in your family through your stories about him and that's great! Your description of him makes me feel a sense of loss over such a heroic person too.
ReplyDeleteWonderful! He sounds like a wonderful person! Thanks for sharing him with us!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like your uncle was an amazing person. Thank you for sharing a real life hero with us.
ReplyDeleteI can definitely see those letters from your great grandmom breaking your heart. A terrible thing to have happen, though a heroic individual to risk. Thank you for sharing.
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