I realized Monday that I’d totally forgotten to post on my blog for the week. I guess that was ok though, because my day at the Halloween party was pretty boring (except for a great conversation with a WW II vet who had been on an LST (Landing Ship, Tank) for 11 invasion in the Pacific Theater.)
Monday of this week, I took Charles from the Alzheimer’s Unit down to the Mitchel dining court for lunch. The Alzheimer’s unit is on the second floor of MacCarther and the residents are never allowed to leave that floor unless they are escorted by someone. Charles loves to get out just to see the world, but he especially loves going to the Mitchel dining court because that is where his wife eats lunch, at least that is what he told me. He hears an understands very well, but he speaks very softly. Try talking quietly, without moving you tongue or bottom jaw. Now you know what he sounds like.
Over lunch he told me a lot of things. How he’d been an infantry man and fought in World War II. His large, cowboy-esque hat displayed two patches. One patch indicated that he had served in the Pacific campaign meaning that this man had fought some of the toughest battles of this century in the jungles of tiny, coral islands. The other patch told that he had earned the Bronze Star for Heroism. This is the fourth highest combat award of the US Armed Forces. That puts it just above the Purple Heart!
Charles also told me repeatedly how he wanted to move back into the big rooms in Pyle because there he and his wife could live together in one big room, one big bedroom. I couldn’t believe how insistent this old gentleman was, but after being married for 49 years, I guess you’re pretty committed. Unfortunately we didn’t see his wife and he’ll not ever move back to Pyle, but he still had a smile on his face when I dropped him back off on Mitchel 2 and headed to crafts.
