his uncle was aboard the Arizona
when it was sunk at Pearl Harbor
he escaped with his life and to hear him tellhe never discussed it in detail perhaps with his other uncles most of who
served in the European theatre but to
hear him tell all the lives lost somehow he was savedsaved for something very important
throughout his life that was his
guiding light he was sure anything he
did was right he had been anointed with
blood and fire
his uncle was a religious man his Catholicism edified and supported his faith in God in Gods plan he was chosen to serve
when he was a young man at a family picnic a Fourth of July affair
which was always awash with a patriotic fervor yet also exalted their Polish
heritage the family picnics swamped the
entire park all three ballfields the basketball courts the playgrounds the swings slides
and other apparatuses you couldnt throw a
stone and not hit one of his relatives
during the family picnic at last he took his opportunity to interrupt his
uncles recitation of how he was miraculously saved at Pearl Harbor how he had been saved for a greater
purpose
he often wondered as a boy why
his other uncles who had been in combat didnt hold themselves up as this uncle
did how come they didnt say they believed
that they were preserved for something greater also
it wasnt often one of the young
menone of the cousins interrupted an uncle but he wasnt a child any longer a child who is meant to be seen not
heard a child who patently had to respect their elders in particular the familys male elders part of Americas Greatest Generation as it was beginning to be touted
who was he
he already made it clear that he
would not serve in Viet Nam
he already defied proper society by living with his girlfriend
who was he
who was he to interrupt his uncles proselytising
as he prepared to reveal again his firm belief as he had at picnics for years
and years it had become staple he had been saved at Pearl
his interruption rocked all his
uncles at once whether they sat on their
behinds on top the wood picnic tablesthe attached benches or in separate colourful
webbed aluminum lawn chairs
the cousins that were about froze stood with bated breath he wondered why none of his older
cousins had done what he was doing now
Uncle Is it possible your survival wasnt
preordained
irritated
Boy?
No Im Joe Im not a boy
Is it possible it wasnt
preordained
harsh
Your point.
Is it possible it was luck his uncle glared at himhis other uncles
glared Just dumb luck
1053, Friday, Pearl Harbor Day, 7 12.
18
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