First, if you haven't already seen it (and as reported here by "teacherken"), please go to your Sunday Parade Magazine insert and read James Brady's excellent article about Marine Lance Corporal Jimmy Webb, Jr., also available at this link:
http://www.parade.co...
Next, we were happy to have Mac McGarvey, Jim Webb's driver in last year's winning U. S. Senate campaign and one of Jim's several radio operators in Vietnam, visit with us this past Tuesday and Wednesday. Mac is a Marine who lost his right arm to a land mine in Vietnam in 1968, and he and Jim have been fast friends for nearly 40 years.
In Tom Brokaw's soon-to-be released new book, "Boom!" about the Baby Boomers, there's one whole chapter devoted to Mac and Jim Webb, and it is a must read. Mac just happened to have an advance copy of the book with him, autographed by Tom Brokaw, and I was privileged the read that special chapter.
This past Wednesday morning, Mac was met here at our home by another Marine veteran of the Vietnam War, Dale Wilson, who is a triple amputee, having lost both legs and his right arm to a land mine a few months after Mac's tragedy. From here they drove together to Boston for a big annual Marine Corps gathering and, on the way back, stayed with the Webbs in northern Virginia on Saturday night. Yesterday afternoon they stopped by our house to pick up Mac's truck so he could return to his home in southern Illinois as Dale went back home to Charlotte.
Also, Sharon's mother, Shirley Schultz, now doing very well at age 84 after having just returned home - on Election Day, no less - from the hospital where she had double by-pass surgery, is a former Navy WAVE and a veteran of World War II. Her husband - Sharon's father - also a WWII veteran, was a B-17 waist gunner and radio operator who completed 25 missions over Germany. Bob was a retired air traffic controller who died nearly seven years ago.
Within the next few weeks, our youngest son, Bobby, will get "winged" in Pensacola as a Navy helicopter pilot and then he will go on to either Norfolk or San Diego for further training in a Seahawk with deployment late next year to either Iraq or Afghanistan being very likely.
So, in honor of Jim and Jimmy, Mac and Dale, Shirley and Bob, Bobby and all current and future veterans of the U. S. military, let me say that Sharon and I are so very proud of you and that we appreciate your service more than you will ever know...
Thanks!
Steve McGraw