THE VETERAN

The old Veteran walks down the sidewalk. The leaves are moist so they
do not crunch when he walks. A cool breeze flutters his graying hair. He
looks at the big, tall black wall. The granite wall stands with names
engraved in it.
The clouds were still gray and threaten rain. Thunder booms in the
distance. Suddenly the veteran stops. He turns and stares. His eyes search
up and down, left and right. Then his blue eyes stop and stares at a name.
The name he said over a thousand times in Vietnam.
The veteran felt tears run down his face. In the distance, he hears
the cries and the booming of the artillery. He hears his friend's voice as
if it was yesterday. He hears it plain. Even above all the noise. He hears
it. He hears what he says.
The veteran snaps back into reality. He drops to his knees and cries.
Suddenly, the veteran feels a warm hand on his shoulder. A hand that he
has not felt in over fifty years. The veteran looked up at the shiny wall.
He saw his buddy in the background. The veteran's buddy was on his knees
with one hand on the veteran's back. Tears streamed down both of their
faces. A cold shiver ran down the veteran's back. He smiled and his buddy
disappeared.