SHARING

Waiting For An Army To Die

"Now I lay me down to sleep"

My mother taught me how to pray

She taught me how to kneel

And all the words to say.

To ask for God's forgiveness

And all His amazing graces.

But that was so, so long ago

Before Uncle Sam sent me to foreign places

"Help me God" I mumble now,

It's so hard for me to kneel.

"Please help me God", I cry at night,

"I've forgotten how to feel."

My mother now is dead and gone.

To Heavens Golden Streets above.

Now she walks with Jesus every day

And shares in all His love.

They treat us for depression,

Agent Orange and Hepatitus C.

It's a sad and tragic fact you see

These things weren't done by the enemy.

As for me, I feel so betrayed,

As I listen to the dead and missing cry.

Yes, betrayed by my own government.

Waiting for it's army to die.

Copyright May 2002

By John "Doc" Smith

Hi Shelia

I love the web site....... it is done

with honor and respect. It makes

me very proud to have his quilt

block there. Steve died 4/13/02 and friends ours had the quilts bought here with Jennie in Sept 2002 to Troy Ny ( Riverfront Park) to show them at the Vietnam Memorial in Troy. His quilt panel was sent to Jenny in August of 2002 so it could be added to the quilt. At that time the quilt that his panel was on, wasn't completed, but it was shown. The day was beautiful with the quilts blowing in the light breeze the blue sky and the Hudson River in the back ground. This was all done as a fund raiser to help pay off some medical bills for Steve since the VA had discharged him 8 days before he died without telling us he was dying , nothing to help with his care and 2 days after discharge he's lungs had filled with fluid and I called 911. He was sent to a private hospital until he could be sent to VA ( no other insurance) but no one notified VA and I was made responsible for the bills. Steve spent 3 days in the hospital until hospice stepped in and he was sent home to die. He came home from a private hospital on a Thursday night and by early Saturday morning he was gone. Our friend here in NY did a fund raiser, they had 3 bands , the quilts, food, biker ride and it was wonderful. A lot of Vets attended and Jennie was wonderful. That was the first time I got to meet Jennie. Steve would of been honored. I have the agent orange bracelets 1 for me and each one of my kids. So glad you are doing the patch.

I keep telling myself this will get better but so far it really hasn't.

I haven't forgotten to write something about Steve for the quilts just had so much happening and my heart and mood is not in the right place right now to get thru it, but I will as soon as I can. ( the tears keep getting the paper wet) I still love him and miss him so much.

With honor and respect

Barb Littell------ agent orange widow

Could you add to the letter one thing? Like on his headstone "He was my life, my soul and will forever be my hero" I always told him that. Hugs, Barb

Each unique and special quality of the individual is best enhanced when joined in common cause with others as unique and special in their own right.

Consider each as a patch in the quilt of humanity.

In order to make the quilt, it requires those extra special individuals who can join the patches together and produce the finished product, showing us all how much better we really

can be when joined together in a common cause.

09/21/04 Richard G. Shuster

Life is a Patchwork Quilt©)

Jackie White

Agent Orange Widow

Visiting her husband's Quilt with family & showing her Grandchildren

their Grandpa's Quilt Block

A bit of the history of the Agent Orange battle

Jackie & her daughter were in the Spring Into Action March with Jennie LeFevre back a few years ago.

The march was where Jennie was presented with the 'signature flag' that has traveled with The Quilt Of Tears ever since.

Gary and I were together for 18 years. We met in Florida and got married in Texas. We lived in Texas for 5 years before we moved back to Florida. He tried to go back in the Army so our sons would not have to go to war in 1991, Desert Storm. The guy at the base kind of smiled and said “It don't work that way!” But he went back in for 2 years anyway.

Gary drove truck after that and I would go with him a lot of the time. We would go many places together he didn’t want to go anywhere with out me. We never had a cross words with each other. Not even one. When he would come in off the truck on Friday if I didn't go with him he would always bring me a rose.

Gary always marched in the Veterans Day Parade in his dress greens and he always told every one “I can still wear what I did in Vietnam!” His last year he was unable to walk and he had to ride in a truck but he had his greens on!

He loved his dogs and cats, the more he could have the better he liked it.

We have 3 boys, 1 girl and 13 grandkids. He told every one “They are my kids!” We had 2 in the military, and 1 is still in with 23 years service. We have 1 grandson in the Air Force now.

Gary was a member of the America Legion and the VFW. The America Legion was the one that did his funeral service.

I made a square for the Quilt of Tears and I am helping with the Silver Rose so that we can get the word out about agent orange more. I have talked to a lot of people about it and they don’t even know what I am talking about! But then again…. I didn't until about 6 years ago.

Gary was everything to me. He has been gone for a year & a half now and I can still see him the day he died. I will all ways LOVE HIM with all my HEART.

LOVE YOU SWEETHEART

Your wife, Mary

"Friendly Fire"

The plane came out of the dusk

flying low and fast

we had just a quick look

before it flew on past

From the rear of the plane

came a light colored mist

it settled down upon us

like a mother’s sweet kiss

Not knowing what it was

we paid it no mind

there was still a job to do

and we were running out of time

That was years ago

and half a world away

who would have thought

it would have come to this day

Laying in this bed

waiting to expire

knowing what killed me

was friendly fire

Jim Rose, President -

Galveston County Chapter 685

Vietnam Veterans of America

President -

Army Transportation Association Vietnam

Dear Henry & Shelia,

Enclosed is my husband John Jones block to add to the agent orange quilts.

Please post a picture on the website so that his 3 loving sisters in Alaska may

see it.

In the little pocket on his block holds a locket of hair from each family member, including his new grandbabies. We also included a small piece of the foundation

of his home in Oklahoma.

Thank you for letting us honor our loved one who meant so very much to us.

Carolyn