On May 27, 2023, I wrote my “From the Head’s Desk” thoughts from a hotel room in Raliegh, North Carolina. I was in Raliegh for a lacrosse tournament. Not my lacrosse tournament, mind you, it was my daughter’s. In fact, for years now, I have had the good fortune of taking both my children to all sorts of events – baseball, hockey, robotics – you name it, my wife and I have dedicated so much time and energy to our children’s endeavors. It was always a labor of love, and quite honestly, I enjoyed every second of it!
The entry that I wrote that day was about Memorial Day and my uncle – Richard A. Johnson Jr. – or as I have always known him – Uncle Dickie. As I shared then, I never really got a chance to know him, as on August 10, 1969 – exactly four years to the day of my birth, Private First Class, Richard A. Johnson Jr. lost his life on Mutter’s Ridge in Quang Tri Province of Vietnam. I encouraged my readers to remember those that gave all on Memorial Day, just as I always take a moment to remember my namesake, my Uncle Dickie.
It is hitting me a little different this year, and as much as I am thinking of Uncle Dickie – I find myself thinking about my Grandma and Grampa Johnson. This year, my son is 19 – the same age that Dickie was when he died, and my daughter is 18, the age that Dickie was when he enlisted. The world was certainly different when Uncle Dickie was growing up – and there most certainly were not travel sports and other such nonsense – but I know now what 19 years raising a child feels like. I can’t even fathom the horror of hearing the news that my grandparents had to bear in August of 1969.
This Memorial Day, I will cook out, I will have fun, I will kick off the summer – but I will also take some private time to consider those that lost their life so that I can live mine. And of course, I will take some time to think of Uncle Dickie.