"Uncle Gus"

As far back as I can remember, there was the image and subsequent  memory of "Uncle Gus." This photo taken from a newspaper clipping, was among the many similar images my grandmother (his mother) cherished. I recall having seen his actual high school yearbook and reading his words "To fight for my country." World Wa​r II was a terrible time for so much of humanity. So much death and suffering, starvation and mourning. Uncle Gus enlisted in the army right after his high school graduation. Because he was only 17, his mother reluctantly agreed to sign the necessary papers to allow him to join. Tragically he never returned, a memory my grandmother never forgot.
​For the remainder of her life, well into her 90's, she wore black. Although I never had a chance to meet him, his presence was constant. A sadness that was always a part of my grandmothers life. As a child I never understood the impact that his death had on her existence. Uncle Gus will always be more than my Uncle, he is a hero indeed, but he is also a symbol of the multitudes of lives we waste and destroy as a human race. Perhaps we are light years away from becoming a truly civilized race. War, torture, rape, and starvation are still very much with us. I thank my uncle for his sacrifice, but wish the world was a better place for our children who will soon embrace it.