Remembering Them
Written By: Cameron
This story is based on true events and true experiences.
Men came to visit their old friends as I watched them talk through tears.
"Alright class," Miss Cherilee said, "I will assign you all an essay to work on. I do not care what your project will be about as long as it is school appropriate." She sat down behind her desk and looked at the class. "These projects will be due next Monday and today is Thursday so you should have plenty of time on this, if you wanna pass." The class groaned and moaned out loud, but the teacher dismissed these reactions and continued to smile. The bell rang and students left the classroom.
While in the hallways, Twilight wandered around. She had no idea what to do an essay on. She could just do something simple like music, but she's sure that someone else would have already taken that idea. She kept on walking until she ran into her friend Fluttershy.
She smiled. "Hey, Fluttershy."
Fluttershy turned around and saw her friend Twilight. "Hello, Twilight," she replied. "What're you up to?"
Twilight sighed. "I'm trying to figure out what I can do for an essay for Miss Cherilee's class, but I have no idea what. Any ideas?"
"Oh. I'm doing my project on bunnies. My pet Angel will help me get an A on this essay. Would you like to do a report on one of my animals?" She offered.
Twilight thought about it, but she couldn't do it on animals either. Animals wouldn't necessarily interest the class, but it would get a good grade. "I'll consider it." She replied.
"Okay." Fluttershy walked around Twilight. "I gotta go to the library and start studying. I'll see you later, Twi."
"Bye, Fluttershy." With that said, both girls departed from each other.
That helped, but I'm just not sure, Twilight thought to herself. She kept on walking until she stumbled into a couple of boys who were having a conversation that peeked her interest. She stood nearby, but acted like she was busy doing something else. It seemed to work.
"So what're you doing your essay on?" One boy said.
The other replied, "I'm doing mine on the traveling Vietnam wall that came to town today. I'm calling in sick tomorrow to volunteer for the place. I'm sure nobody else would mind if I skipped a day of school."
The traveling Vietnam wall? I didn't know there was a traveling Vietnam wall. Twilight walked away from her victims and went straight to the library. Once she got there, she got on one of the computers and looked up the traveling Vietnam wall. She found the location and time and felt a twinge of victory. The Veteran's Memorial Museum? Perfect, I'll just walk down there and learn what meaning the wall gives and get an easy A on it! But I'm not skipping a day of school like that guy is doing. I'll just go Saturday and BAM I'm done.
The Next Day
Twilight sat down in the cafeteria to enjoy lunch with her friends. Once she arrived at their usual table, she noticed that she was the first to arrive. It was odd because Twilight was usually the last one to arrive. She was starting to wonder where her friends were. Then, her worries subsided when she saw Fluttershy and Rarity sit down at the table.
"Hey girls." Twilight said.
"Hello, Twilight." Rarity said.
"Hi, Twilight." Fluttershy said.
"So where are the others?" Twilight asked
"Well, Pinkie Pie wasn't feel well today, but I don't know about Applejack and Rainbow Dash." Rarity replied.
"Actually," Fluttershy interjected, "they're at the travelling Vietnam wall today."
"Really?" Twilight raised an eyebrow at her. "How come?"
"Oh. Applejack went with her grandmother, Granny Smith, to visit her husband's name on the wall." Twilight and Rarity both gasped. "Yeah. And Rainbow Dash is there with her mother. Rainbow Dash's mom's father served in Vietnam."
"How sad."
"Her mom doesn't like to talk about her dad. I think they were close when she was a little girl." Fluttershy suggested.
"Wow. It seems like a lot of people lost someone during the Vietnam war." Rarity pitched in.
"I'm going down there tomorrow to do my essay on it. I'm gonna try to learn why the people on the Vietnam wall gave their lives to our country."
"A simple question and yet you try to pursue it, huh?" Rarity asked.
"Yeah. You know me."
One Day Later
Once Twilight arrived at the museum, she walked up to the wall. She kept on walking while reading all the names that were displayed. The amount of names amazed her. So many names were presented. So many men died. So many-
*Oof*
Twilight fell down and looked up to see a man in an Army uniform. He looked down and sheepishly smiled. He reached his hand out and she took the offer. She quickly brushed herself off and looked at the Army man. "Sorry," she sheepishly said.
"No. My apologies. I didn't mean to bump into you like that." The man apologized.
"Oh. It's no big deal." Twilight cleared her throat and decided to change the subject. "I'm Twilight." She threw her hand out. "You are?"
"Film Maker." Film shook her hand. "My name is Film Maker."
"Hi, Film Maker. So....how long have you been in the Army, Film?" Twilight asked.
Film raised his eyebrow at her. "Army?" He looked down at himself. "Oh." He quickly looked up at her. "Oh no. I'm not in the Army. I'm in the JROTC. I mean, I would love to be. But I'm not old enough."
"Oh. You from Canterlot High?"
"Yes, I am. I'm actually in your sixth period class."
"Oh. I'm sorry, I never noticed." Twilight blushed, lightly.
"It's okay. No biggie." An idea popped inside Film's head. "Hey, are you that girl who competed up against Sunset Shimmer during the prom?"
"That would be me, yes. It was no big deal."
"No big deal. It was a big deal to the whole school. You put her in her place! She hasn't picked on anyone since."
"Well, I guess I did." Both of them giggled at the praise.
Film turned his head at the wall. "Amazing isn't it?"
Twilight nodded her head. "Yes, it is. All these men gave their lives their the freedom of our country."
Film pointed at a name on the wall: Buck Wild. "You ever heard of this man?" Twilight shook her head. "That's okay, but I'm sure my grandmother would love to tell you if you ever run into her."
"I'd love to hear the story about him."
"She'll be happy to hear that someone wants to hear it." Film nodded his head. "Well, I better get going. They're gonna need my help for the next ceremony that's coming up in half an hour. You should stay for that"
"I'd love to." Twilight replied.
Half An Hour Later
Twilight watched the ceremony take place, but soon found her interest in the wall again. She walked up to it and took pictures with her phone of it. There were many items displayed in front of the wall; roses, boots, helmets, pictures, and a lot of other personal possessions were laid out.
Twilight turned around and saw an RV in a parking lot. She saw Film Maker walk inside of it. She walked up to the RV and saw a sign that said "volunteers only" on the door. She threw away the idea of going inside of it immediately, when she saw the sign. Before she walked away from it, she heard chattering and she couldn't help but listen.
"The military doesn't allow gays." A voice said.
"They do allow gays in the military." Twilight heard Film's voice.
"Oh. Well, if I ever run into any of 'em, just keep 'em away from me." The voice replied.
"Well, fuck you." Film responded.
"Why? What does it have to do with you." The voice asked.
"Because I'm bisexual. As in I go for both genders." Twilight's eyes went wide.
"I-I don't know how to deal with you."
"You know, for future's sake. Treat 'em like another human being!" Film Maker walked out of the RV and ran into Twilight. Twilight opened her mouth, but words failed to come out. "You heard that, didn't you?"
Twilight nodded her head. "I'm sorry about that."
"Don't be. I'm used to it." Film walked away from her.
"Wait!" Twilight called out. Film Maker stopped and turned around to look at her. "There's nothing wrong with that, you know?"
"I know. It's just that others don't." With that said, Film walked away from her. She followed him until they were back at the crowd.
Film stopped and Twilight stood right next to him. The man on the stage approached the microphone. "This is the story about Buck Wild. Buck was a young man who joined the US Army in 1965." The man said.
Film Maker left Twilight and went on the other side of the crowd. Twilight watched Film approach an elder lady who was crying and he wrapped his arms around her while she cried.
Tears started to well up in Twilight's eyes. She turned her attention back to the man on the microphone. "During a firefight, Buck's troops sprang into a Vietnamese booby trap that activated a live hand grenade. When Buck picked up the grenade to throw it back at the enemy, the grenade went off. It instantly killed Buck and a few of his fellow soldiers." The man turned his attention to an elder gentleman who approached the man on the microphone. "Buck's brother volunteers at the museum and we will be presenting him a portrait of his brother Buck."
The man handed out the portrait to Buck's and they both shook hands. Then, the man looked down at Film and the older woman. "First Sergeant Ramirez will be giving Buck's wife, Rings, a rose." A man in a uniform approached the elder woman and handed her a red rose. "And to her side is Rings' grandson Film Maker."
That's Film's grandmother? How sad? Twilight thought to herself as she wiped tears out of her eyes and off of her cheeks.
Once the ceremony was wrapped up, Twilight watched Film escort her grandmother to lay a rose on the wall and walk away from him. Twilight approached Film Maker, once his grandmother was gone.
"Hey." Twilight said.
Film turned around and saw Twilight. "Hey."
"Um...would you be happening to have your essay, from sixth period, on the Vietnam wall?" Twilight asked.
"Yeah. Why?"
"Would you like to pair up and do our assignment mainly on Gary A. Dieu?"
Film's face turned into a gentle grin. "That would be great."
Two Days Later
"Gary A. Dieu gave his life to protect his men and give his country freedom." Cameron finished his part of the essay with Twilight.
Twilight cleared her throat and then began to speak. "The traveling Vietnam wall helps veterans from the Vietnam war to heal from old wounds that have permanently scarred them for life. It also helps us remember the men who gave their lives for our freedom, like Gary. His sacrifice is an example of the thousands who did the same. That concludes our project on the Vietnam wall." She finished.
The whole class stood up and clapped loudly. A few whistles could be heard from them as well. Cameron and Twilight turned in their papers and Miss Cherilee gladly marked them as A's.
THE END
Written By: Cameron
This story is based on true events.
My knowledge for the sacrifice that the men gave will never compare to the experience they have.
Author's Note
Before you dislike, think of that Vietnam vet you see walking into your local grocery store. To hear my experience of the Vietnam wall and what I learned and how I felt (and still feel), here it is: link to story. God bless those that died and thank you for reading. Shake the hands of the Vietnam vets, the next time you see one. They deserve that much and more.
