To Terry

Terry Lee Walker. My dad. I don't talk about him much, he is after all just my dad. He wasn't a war hero by any means and doesn't talk about his time in Vietman much at all. The only two things he has ever mentioned that I remember were these two things. He was a door gunner in a helicopter and was very thankful. He said if he had been on the ground seeing what he was actually killing it would have been the end of him. The second was, he doesn't remember leaving Vietnam because of umm, you know a little bit of help from various medicinal herbs and plants if you get my meaning. That's my dad honest to a fault.

I think he spent a very short amount of time there compared to most, just one year. But I am sure it holds a lifetime of memories. So when I had a chance to see the Vietnam Memorial, the Wall, it was on the must do list.

It came up last on the list but not least. As I first walked up I had expected bigger (AND I was running through in my head how much time I had before we had to make a last chance dash for the airport) so maybe the impact wasn't quite there yet. As I walked by names, and more names. and then tokens left by families and friends, and then finally a women in a wheelchair with family around her holding her as she cried. Then a little girl much to young to have know someone, reading and touching names carefully. I so wanted to capture it in a picture that did it justice. Honestly I don't think one can. I wanted to look, and read every name. Wondering if my dad would remember any. Then you come to a book, a book with every name...it is astounding. Knowing the names of most were young men, someone's son or brother. I could have stayed and sat all day watching people as they paid their respect. As I said, one thing off my bucket list is crossed off.

 Do you see me in the reflection, didn't even notice that til later, here is to you dad.