Grandpa held little David’s hand as they gazed at the worn memorial.
“Davie, war is a terrible thing. But even out of horror there can be some honor, and many honorable acts were performed in both the World Wars of the 20th century.”
“Were you in a war, Grandpa?” David gazed up at his beloved grandpa, hoping for a good story.
“Yes.”
David’s little shoulders slumped. No story. But he could see the distance in his grandpa’s eyes. “Is war really like hell, Grandpa?”
Grandpa snapped back to the present. “Yes, Davie. And I hope you never have to go.”
Just Writing! 
Dear Linda,
My dad was wounded in WW2. Recently my brother pointed out that while Dad told plenty of boot camp stories he didn’t say much about the war itself. Tender story. I hope David never has to go either.
Shalom and Merry Christmas,
Rochelle
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My dad said his only war wound happened during a drunken brawl between the sub he served in and the tavern on the waterfront 🙂 But no, he didn’t have much else to say. That generation tended not to dwell on the horrible.
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A hope most ex-combatants have. And a hope that’s perenially dashed
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Sad but true, Neil. Thanks for your comment.
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Man has invented too many varieties of hell on this earth — directed by the infernal master of the place. 😦
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War is WORSE than hell. Hell, we can only imagine… War… we’ve seen it, tasted it, and had it invade every aspect of our lives. Of the two, I think I’d take hell.
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I don’t know. War, at least, comes to an end. Hell never does. Something to think about.
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True, that.
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Great advice. I got talked out of military service by combat veterans. They told me they had fought so we wouldn’t have to.
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I don’t think there is a vet out there who ever wished his family experienced what he has (he or she, of course)
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No. I agree. And WWI was “the war to end all wars.” I think we’d realized, by the time WWII came around, the war was part of the human condition.
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My grandfather was in WWII. I have his gun, but I’ve never heard any stories.
Isn’t that why people go to war? To make the world a better place? In hopes of creating a world without war?
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Yes. My dad was in WWII. I think all those soldiers hoped their children and grandchildren would never have to experience it.
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Every parent/grandparents’ worst fear is that their (grand)child will be sent to war.
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Agree.
May there be no more wars. Then, no child has to go for war or lose her/his loved ones…
The Monument – Anita
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My husband did National SErvice in Kenya, and I am sure the things he saw and did there shaped his future life.
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I’m sure. My son-in-law’s grandparents and parents were missionaries for years in Kenya, so I tend to keep up on what goes on over there.
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Sweetly told story of the effects of war. Well done.
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Thanks 🙂
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I hope Grandpa’s hope comes true and David is spared that.
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Your story is fluently and powerfully told, Linda. I too hope that David never has to face war.
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Thank you, Penny.
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We all cherish that hope for our children and grandchildren. For a long time I thought we might stand a chance of that hope being fulfilled.
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😦
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War is no solution, and it brings the nonhuman characteristics of ours, out in the open. However, take the case of India, in its 7000 years old recorded history, it has never waged war against any country. In fact, the county suffered due to its teachings of nonviolence, which led to ill-prepared war-making machinery. India lost 50 million inhabitants at the hand of barbaric, inhuman and unprincipled invaders from Turkey, Central Asia, and the Middle East, in the middle ages. So war is Hell dear, but not being ready for war is a curse on the future generations. Thanks.
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Yes, I agree. No one wants war, but not being prepared for war is national suicide.
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