Vietnam veteran Carl Hernandez and his wife Margie are familiar faces at the AV Wall.
They have dedicated many hours of volunteer service to the memorial’s displays over the years, as well as at community events benefiting veteran service organizations.
Carl Hernandez has used poetry as an outlet to process his memories of the Vietnam War, turning his pain into something beautiful in the process. Margie Hernandez was inspired recently to mold her experiences and feelings as a veteran spouse into a similar creative expression. The result is a poem entitled How You Recall, which was read by the author as part of the AV Wall Veterans Day Ceremony. It is our privilege to present it here, in the pages of Aerotech News.
How You Recall
How you recall that day you swore
To serve our country to the core
That clothing issued brought a view
Of raw recruits, this showed so true.
Remembered hair was cut away
This look for quite a while would stay
Your trek before too long did show
New GIs marching, row by row.
And then one day emerged a form
Each proud trained troop in uniform
You followed orders as you should
To do your best, in pride you would.
Some served in peace, some went to war
Brave heroes passed through heaven’s door
You cherished friends who served with you
Great buddies all, how you discuss
So many thoughts will never wane
For what you shared, let closeness reign
Your bond was tight, the best to see
For when you served, this had to be
The purpose was to keep us free
God bless the brave, deservedly.
Margie Hernandez
Sept. 29, 2019