[The following is one of many anonymous notes and letters found at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C.]
My friend-
I came today to find your name. To remember.
I remember training. The dirt and the sweat. I remember laughing, the drink and the girls. I remember you. The confidence and strength. We were invincible then.
The world has changed. I am sorry you don’t share it with me. I am sorry your name is here. I ask why mine is not.
One slain, one spared. I cannot answer. It is too much for me. We had never thought of it before. Remember? The dirt and the sweat, the drink and the girls.
I leave you now. Rest in peace, my fallen friend. One small measure for your great sacrifice: I leave a tear at your wall. And I will carry your memory forever.
I came today to find your name. To remember.
Source:
Palmer, Laura. Shrapnel in the Heart: Letters and Remembrances from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Vintage Books, 1988. 61. Print.
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