Column By Tom Green
After many years of looking forward to all of the fun outdoor activities and barbecues, I took a closer look at what it means to me, and hopefully to you, too.
As a ‘baby boomer’ post WWII child, I grew up hearing lots of stories and watching lots of WWII movies and documentaries that let me know about the heroism, bravery, and sacrifice that American soldiers had in our country’s contributions to defeating the Axis Powers of Germany’s Hitler, Italy’s Mussolini, and Japan’s Emperor Hirohito.
America suffered over 400,000 military deaths during the war. I, as well as many of you reading this, might not have ever been born if your fathers and mothers serving our country had lost their lives during WWII. Thinking about all of the young men and women who did not return home to their families, families who became referred to as Gold Star families, led me to wonder if there was any way to find out who the soldiers from Graham County were who gave their lives for our country, not only during WWII, but in all wars since as well.
One soldier, Walter Foote, and a good friend to Bailey Stauffer, is one of the most recognized war heroes in our area, but I knew there must be others. Not all of them, of course, were Green Berets, but they died serving our country nonetheless. While searching the internet, I was pleased to discover a searchable database, www.honorstates.org, a non-profit that started in 2014 and can be searched by state and even by county.
I searched Graham County and pored over all the names listed, wondering if I knew any of them personally. For me, I found one soldier that I don’t think I ever knew existed, but whose father I knew somewhat well and whose brother I knew better.
The soldier’s name is Mike Dunagan, who served in Vietnam and died from a non-combat injury. His father, Steve Dunagan, was an exceptionally good man in our town who, as a carpenter and construction worker, took on extra jobs for others needing his expertise.
My dad, Welden Green, hired Steve for all kinds of small projects at his Western Auto Store, at home, and at his rental properties. I went to school with Steve’s other son, Terry, and, like his dad, Terry was an exceptionally good man, soft-spoken and very down-to-earth.
I think back on my dealings with his dad and brother, and how they always seemed just a little sad and were not prone to being brash about anything. I can only guess that losing Mike had a profound impact on the rest of their lives. They say that war is hell, but as we all know, when America’s top military brass and the President of the United States decide that America is under a threat that requires our young men and women to be put in harm’s way, American soldiers do what they are trained and dedicated to do, even if it means giving the ultimate sacrifice.
My hope is that someday, fewer and fewer young men and women will ever have to make that sacrifice. I know that it’s unrealistic to think that an old hippie poster slogan could ever be a reality, but sometimes it’s the thought that counts. “Suppose they gave a war and nobody came.”
Dream on. I feel grateful that we live in a country that still holds patriotism as strong as any country on earth, but my heart breaks for those who are no longer here to live and enjoy life as you and I can. Coming back full circle, I’ll have to believe that if the spirits of our fallen soldiers were still with us today, they’d all probably laugh and smile and wish us all to enjoy our Memorial Day celebrations with lots of joy and good times with friends and family. So, for them, let’s do just that, but keep a special place in our hearts in remembrance and honor for those we knew, and for those we never got to know.
