In this mailing, there is a report on the matriculation of Sergeant Carr as he spoke to the 23 members of Class 4B at the Glenwood School in Millburn/Short Hills. When the festivities were done and I had said nearly all that I could say, I retired to write the teacher, the volunteer parent, and the students a thank you note for inviting me to address them on the occasion of Memorial Day, 2011.
Having completed those tasks, I more or less forgot about the encounter with the Glenwood School students. I didn’t really forget about the students in grade 4B, but I filed it under the heading of pleasant memories. For two or three weeks, I went about my business but did not give more thought to the Memorial Day holiday.
Then as July approached and school was being concluded for the year, I received a note from the teacher, Mrs. Briber, to which were attached 23 letters of gratitude for my visit. I had no idea that my visit could have caused such consternation. I am grateful nonetheless. According to the letters, the students of the fourth grade in Millburn told me that they had remembered that on Memorial Day to give special consideration to my four comrades from St. Louis who were killed in action and never returned from the war. Those four comrades were Ashby Vaughan, Bernie Wheeler, Dave Weiss, and Don Meier. I must have made a bigger impression on the students than I thought.
As a matter of fact, attached are samples of the letters that were put together by a seventh grade student from the Summit Middle School named Esteban Hidalgo. I am obligated to Esteban for his help in condensing the replies. However, I wish to point out that if there are any complaints about the letters to me, they should be referred to Esteban Hidalgo. I have his address if that is necessary.
One of the letters to me said that I should reply to him in writing. As a matter of fact, I did not reply to this student because I had answered the question orally, which had to do with whether I was “scared” in combat. I believe my answer was adequate in that I assured my listeners that I was indeed frightened.
The main thing is that the class of 4B in Millburn remembered on Memorial Day what a solemn occasion it is. And more than that, a good many of the letters told me that they remembered Ashby Vaughan, Bernie Wheeler, Dave Weiss, and Don Meier. When you come away from a little talk such as I made with all of that admiration plus a fruit basket followed by thank you letters, it doesn’t get any better than that.
And maybe for the first time, these ten-year-olds were exposed to the idea that Memorial Day is a solemn occasion. By the time that the next Memorial Day appears, I will have my 89th birthday under my belt and, if asked, I know that my answer will be in the affirmative if they wish me to speak again. That’s counting chickens before they are hatched when no one knows whether I will be around for the next Memorial Day. So we will leave things as they are, with gratitude for the students writing methe letters that are attached to this essay. And remember, any complaints should be referred to Esteban.
E. E. CARR
July 3, 2011
Essay 559
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Kevin’s commentary: I don’t have these letters, though I wish I did.
This essay is an expansion on THE MATRICULATION OF SERGEANT CARR, ARMY OF THE UNITED STATES