Veterans from the Other side and their wonderful stories
Veterans from the other side are eager to share their stories.
I made the GIF of the light orb that showed itself on the video that day. You can see it on the left side of the screen above.
I had planned to write about this for Thanksgiving but there is so much going on that I did not get a chance to do it then. Veteran stories I have learnt in the past month have made a profound impact on my understanding of the human cost of war, the value of service, the nature of PTSD and the weight of survivor’s guilt that weighted so heavily on so many.
Veterans, famous ones, like McCain and General Patton had appeared before, and offered great insights into what we are living through. But this time was different, it was focused on veterans who had personal connections to people in the group.
These series of to Veteran stories came through almost by accident. Veterans’ day was on November 11th and on that day, one person in my group wrote to me privately and asked me to contact her uncle, who happened to be Col David H Hackworth, during the live stream ( you can watch this video here )
It was only after the reading was done that I was told by others in the group that he was a famous author who wrote several books about his war experiences.
As I contacted Col Hackworth, a few other people in the group spontaneously asked on the live stream comment section, to look into what their parent or relative had to say.
I was surprised by the outpouring of emotion and how the Veterans’ poignant and powerful stories made just the right positive impact. Just what we needed to hear at this time. When values, service and sacrifice are under attack by the country’s leadership and their foreign partners on a daily basis, their stories remind us of what really matters.
Then, reviewing the footage I found the light orb Karen had mentioned she had spotted just as I had finished the reading on Veterans Day ( see the GIF image I have added to this post ). The “light orb” felt like a YES sign of powerful spiritual presence. And a confirmation to stay on it. I had the distinct feeling that veterans had a lot they wanted to say.
The Patreon group is meant only for public topics, not personal readings but since I felt veterans in general were of public interest I decided to organize it to happen over 3 Sundays, just so I could accommodate everyone who had posted their question. I have included the three videos below.
This is Uncle Alfred
Solving the mystery of Uncle Alfred’s death in Tunisia during WWII
Once I announced I would do this reading about Veterans, Patricia was one of the people in the group who had reached out to me with a request to find out more about her uncle.
He had died in mysterious circumstances during WWII in Tunisia and her grandparents had been devastated by his passing. They had never been told what had really happened. They never received human remains or personal belongings. She sent me many photos of him and I had the feeling she wanted to share the story of her uncle.
I’ll soon be age seventy nine, and I don’t remember for certain when I first saw the photos. I’ve heard the story all my life, but only in bits and pieces. Several years ago, my sister and I wrote to Department of Defense for information about Alfred. Afterwards, I think the photos arrived from Department of Army along with information about his grave in Tunisia. But never was there any information about his death.
Official information Patricia’s family received about her uncle Alfred’s passing.
After Alfred’s death, my grandfather retired from working for the railroad. Before Alfred went off to war, my grandfather used his little bit of influence to get Alfred into railroad construction with the Army Corps where he hoped Alfred would be safe. And Alfred stayed safe until Tunisia
This is an image Patricia’s family received of uncle Alfred’s burial in Tunisia.
Decades later, I lived in Europe and the Middle East with my Army Corps of Engineers husband; and we traveled extensively throughout these regions. Then, in 1996, I worked on Capitol Hill and traveled with a study group to Russia, Ukraine, and Turkmenistan to examine gas pipeline strategy. I’ve since wondered if Alfred’s travels before me, somehow, opened magical gateways for my journeys to exotic regions of the world.
This is an image Patricia’s family received of uncle Alfred’s burial in Tunisia. It shows what looks like barracks in the background.
In recent years I’ve discovered screenwriting as a way to tell stories about my life and about our family generations, although I’ve never written about Alfred until I wrote to you. Incidentally, my writing partner just turned eighty, and she and I just completed our second script. Our scripts are not movies yet, but we remain hopeful. Will we write a script about Alfred one day? Probably not. I’m too tired. But never say never. Actually, all your veterans stories are worthy of beautiful scripts.
Finally, I must say that I’m forever grateful to Alfred and all other veterans who have given so much to keep democracy safe.
What I found out about Uncle Alfred
Patricia told me that her grandparents never knew what really happened to him, all they were told was, her uncle had been on a vacation in Tunisia in 1944 and died there. Which seemed completely implausible. Tunisia had been the field of battles as recently as 1943. In 1944, the likelihood of vacation in a warzone, in the middle of WWII seemed completely unlikely.
What I saw on the vision was that he was indeed in Tunisia but he was not there on vacation. It looked like he was working installing radar and surveillance equipment when a bomb was dropped. I had the distinct impression that it was an instant death and that there was a bomb involved, I saw a large bomb and it was not a mine or a concealed bomb, I believe it may have been dropped by an airplane. It looked like a cartoon bomb, meaning, it was not likely to be a mine or dynamite explosives concealed in the landscape.
This would explain why her family never got any remains. Likely because there were no remains; and also because he was likely in a covert mission.
UPDATE: Patricia has done some more research and found out, through records connected to a war monument, that her uncle died “in battle”. There is still no specification as to where exactly, but she doing further research.
Videos of all three Veteran readings below
Veterans from the Other Side (01 of 03)
QUESTIONS & TIME STAMPS BELOW:
1. 11:00 DONNA H: UNCLE, WWII, Air Force, squadron leader.
2. 25:30 JOANNE T: FATHER JOE T.. Navy WWII in both North Africa and the Pacific. He was a politician (of the good sort) and a liberal Judge in the South. ROSIE'S SUMMARY: Judge is happy in heaven where he is with his best friend, a Civil Rights Leader whose death haunted him his entire life.
3. 39:30 BELLA Y. RAYA H: MOTHER WWII. ROSIE'S NOTES: Bella's mother joined the Russian army as a nurse after she, as a Jewish woman, ran away from the Germans in WW2. The Russian sent all Jews soldiers to the front lines, where she cared for dozens of young Russian soldiers and heard their stories prior to their death. She is at the highest level of heaven, surrounded by angels: the children she saved at war.
4. 58:10 PATTY T: HER UNCLE Master Sargent A.R.M.1917–1944 || BIRTH 7 OCT 1917 • Memphis, Tennessee, USA|| DEATH OCT 31 1944 • Palestine (World War II) Alfred her uncle, Master Sargent with the Army Corps of Engineers, helped build the trans Iran-Russia railroad into what is now Turkmenistan. He died mysteriously near the end of the war in a jeep on a railroad in Palestine. He was buried in North Africa (Tunisia.) His death remains a mystery. The Army said he was on holiday with his buddies when a train hit their jeep.
5: 1:23:50 PEGGY T: HER COUSIN [DIED] AND BROTHER [ALIVE, SEVERE PTSD], IN VIETNAM. Peggy’s question: By the way my cousin died a hero in the Vietnam war on the Cambodia border in 1969. He died returning fire from the enemy and protecting his men so the helicopters could get them out. We are a gold star family and he was heavily decorated. He was an Engineer with a a young wife an child and he was drafted. My Brother is s veteran 4 years a marine in Vietnam came home had a family and became Christian and of course his training taught him to be the best. He had a nervous breakdown and lost his wife and four kids. He lives in a home for veteran heavily medicated he hears voices. ROSIE'S NOTES ABOUT PEGGY’S BROTHER: VIVID RECOLLECTION OF HIS BOAT ON THE MEKONG RIVER AS IT WAS ATTACKED BY MACHINE GUN FIRE. HE WATCHES HIS FRIENDS DIE.
1:37:50 ELLEN H. EX HUSBAND WHO SERVED IN VIETNAM, INVOLVED IN CAMBODIA INCURSIONS, PTSD, PASSED AWAY. Like the person above, he was forever haunted by what he saw in Vietnam and Cambodia. Ellen had mentioned on her question that after the war he was debriefed in Texas and after that, he was never the same. What I found out was that he could not speak about the things he saw and the secrecy around the horror he saw contributed to the crippling trauma. his story led me to look up Cambodia during the Vietnam war, which led me to Laos. I found a really excellent and disturbing documentary about the “Ravens”, members of the secret operations the CIA undertook in Laos.
Veterans from the Other Side (02 of 03)
Questions:
Elle E. My grandfather John. He served in WW1 right in the heart of the battle and was gassed with mustard gas. He had repercussions his whole life from his service. He died 3 weeks before I was born, but I have prayed for him my whole life and love him even though we never met. Message: I love you Grandpa. Thank you for your service. What are your thoughts on war given that you experienced terrible things in battle?
Joanne S My dad, Edwin (Ed) Springsteen was a Navy vet, posted on the USS Essex in WW2. It was an aircraft carrier in the South Pacific. He died a few years ago. My brother Eddie Springsteen was in the army in Vietnam. He died in a car accident 22 years ago at the age of 49...6 years younger than I am now. Are they together? Do they have a message for me? Thank you Rosie.
Joy B Kaled- husband, was an Iraqi-American translater embedded with the US Army, PTSD, see if he's OK now, I wish I could have done more. Im so proud of you, Love you Kaled.
Lindsay L I'd love to ask about one of my grandfathers, Eugene'Bud' Lucas
Loretta G John w Green Dad was it a hard time for him when he came home from the war?
Karen G Ed Goldner was my adoptive father and he fought in WW2 and the Korean War. Although I know he loved me, we didn’t have a good relationship, and it was always very painful for me. I’m sure some of that was because he had untreated PTSD, but I couldn’t help but feel part of it was because I was not his biological daughter. Could you just ask him about that? His thoughts and feelings about or relationship? I will have hankies at the ready. Thank you so much for doing this!!! 😊❤️
Jefi M Oh, my Dad was a Royal marine, wwII, based in Denmark
REX PREVETT.
Wants dad to know I am living my life as he raised me to, kind of let him know that I have based my life around his teachings and whatever comes you.
Ann L David Mansfield - my uncle- a gold shield detective and an MP during the Korean war. I wish I had known him better. What is his take on the criminals in office? Does he have anything he wants to say to my mom his little sister.
Veterans from the Other Side (03 of 03)
Questions:
Leah M. Jack emerson foegley ww2 vet my stepfather, the father in my heart OR Jeffrey Charles henkel, coast guard vet, brother. Just how are they. Any messages for me or my mom
Jane G Joe Nantz, Jr. He is a very close friend who I visited every week to record his service stories. He filled a space in my heart and I miss him dearly. He shared a very difficult war experience with me just before coming down with shingles (severe...hospitalized...hospice.. :( till his passing). I want him to know I love and and want to know how he is doing in heaven with his wife and fellow soldiers. He said he would meet my Mom in heaven one day, did this happen? Thank you Rosie!
Maureen L. My father’s name is Walter (he went by the nickname Hank) and he was an aviator in the Navy. He is buried, alongside my mom) at Arlington Cemetery. He died in 2016 before the blob was elected. He joined the Navy towards the end of WW2 and flew during the Korean War and Vietnam. He also flew during the Berlin Airlift. I would like to ask him what he thinks of and what we can learn from the current political situation. Also, how he and Mom are doing?
Cheryl M: Put me in last since you did my father. Bill, father-in-law. Do you know where the picture is that shows you sitting behind Hitler’s desk?
Janet P. Allen Carlos Panighetti (U.S. Navy) my Father
I've always loved you. I hope you have found joy!
Andrea G: My mom Josefina was born in el Paso Texas...her mom barely made it across the Mex. border to pop! She treasured being a US citizen and was so patriotic. She joined the air corp at age 15 and became a seargent at age 16 during ww2 training washed out naval pilots as air traffic controllers in Pensacola Fla. And worked all her life supporting and championing our veterans and military although against the Vietnam war.
Patricia R. Moses Johnson. My dad. He was an Alaska Native from a small isolated town, I wonder how his time in the military affected him. Did it change his view of the world, did he see things differently upon his return home?
Please let him know that I am grateful for the time I had with him and I miss his hugs.
Patricia G. My father was a veteran of WWII. His name was Dallis