Valeria Diaz Hernandez – Maria Alejandra Rojas 10ª
Letter:
It had arrived, the day that would eternally change my life had arrived. In a blink of an eye, the warmth of the memories hit my head. Since the day he was born until the day he left, he filled our lives with joy. When we found out he was leaving to Vietnam, my heart wrinkled in a cold depression. A dark cloud covered our endless days, time seemed to stop, the weather went freezing. Our cold bodies couldn't rest because of the constant pain we felt. Yet, that Thursday when the door was knocked that same feeling we had at the beginning came back. We received your letter. When I first started reading, my eyes were full of tears, but my pain was gone. Your words helped me understand that he left being the best man he could be, your words hugged me, you healed me; so I thank you, thank you for being who you are, for being so special to my son, now you have one more reason to fight, he can not die in vain because we are still here, and we must go on.
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Camila González 10B
Dear Timothy,
It is in times like this that I find value in memory, in being able to go back in time to those days when I could hold John's hands. I can't start to describe the emptiness I feel deep within my soul when I realize my eyes will never again look into his, and my hands can no longer touch his golden hair. Ever since I got the news I have been hurting, but when Mark read your poem to me, I told myself I had to answer it back, no matter how hard is it.
First of all, I want to thank you for taking the time to write the poem and send it to Mark, it was a beautiful gesture. I know from the way you wrote that you cared deeply about my husband, and from his letters I know he admired you for your bravery and fearlessness, additionally of thanking you for always having his back. He considered you the one true friend he had in Vietnam and the one that kept him from falling apart when the distance was too much for him to bare. Thank you for all of it.
I don’t want to take much more of your time, so I will say just one more thing; in your poem, you said you must go on, but you don’t. You need to take the pain and suffering and find them a place in your soul. You need to grieve John and think about him, to remember him. You must learn to live with the fact that he is gone, not to move on, forget or get over it, not to hide the wound but to embrace it as a new part of yourself, because the only way to see it heal, is stop hiding it and get used to the scar.
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Maria Camila Hoyos 10ª
Dear dad,
Its almost been 20 years since you wrote that special letter for mom. I was clearly too little to understand why my mom was crying, but what I do remember is her playing me that recording of you saying “I love you my little girl” every night. Today I have special news for you, and I feel lucky my daughter will have such a caring grandfather as you will be. Yes, I'm pregnant, and today more than ever memories come to my mind; countless stories my mom used to tell me before falling asleep, about that brave soldier who helped children fly (metaphor of when children stepped on a mine and you helped them not to give up) or when he traveled the seven seas to get Maria back with her mother (helped lost children find their parents in rural medical centers after an explosion). You are a special man, a man who managed to keep his strength under the promise to meet his daughter, a man who even under such circumstances surrounded by death and sorrow, had the courage to fight with values and kept his heart under an armor. War changed your mind but your heart stayed the same. I'm gonna stop writing or else I'm gonna cry. I just wanted you to know how much I love you and how happy I am. Next time I see you, Oana will be on your shoulders laughing and smiling just as I did when you came back.
With love,
Your big little girl
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Sofia Rincón A. 10A
Dear Jack,
It has been 4 months now. It hasn't really been that long, but it seems like an eternity to me. Some nights, I can't fully remember what my life was like before Vietnam. I can't remember waking up to a sound different to the thundering roars of distant explosions. I can't remember tasting anything but old and tasteless lima beans and these stupid little crackers which at this point, have become more important than any other of our possessions.
The thing that scares me the most, however, is now the sight of the death - decomposing bodies have become normal things. We couldn't stand the looks on the faces of wounded soldiers when we first got here. Watching hope slowly fade from the eyes of those young men used to shock us, but now we are watching hope fade from our own.
War changes people Jack. I don't think I will ever be the same. The only part of me that still remains is my love for her. Don't break her heart that way. Let her forget about me, about everything we used to do. She deserves to move on and find someone who will never leave her side. I will forget everything about who I used to be and the way I used to live before the war, but the image of her face will always make the pain more bearable. God left this place a long time ago, but she remains in my heart like an angel. Maybe someday we will see each other again.
Lots of love,
Your brother Dylan
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Laura Rodriguez, Maria Alejandra Cervantes 10A
October 20, 1969
Our anniversary
Hi, love of my life,
I hope you are doing well.
I want you to know that I think about you every day, hour, minute, and second of my life. Every day, as soon as I wake up, I check the mailbox wishing to receive news from you, or at least a sign that you're alive; however, I know you are because even in the darkest and most lonely nights, I feel your love and presence beside me. I have been waiting so long to tell you this...I didn't know how to do it, but now I'm ready.
Sweet thing:
Remember that night?
That the moon was bright,
I was in your arms,
While we held hands.
We were just the two of us,
And now we got a plus.
You will be an awesome father,
And I will be a lovely mother.
She is a girl,
That will be perfect as a pearl.
This is a new beginning,
That will come with the end of the war you are winning.
I hope my good news make you stronger and happier. Be as brave and courageous as you have always been, and fight for your life because both of us, your daughter and I, are waiting for you back home. Come back!
Love,
Denise,
Mother of your girl
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Sara Rodriguez 10B
My soulmate Joe,
Words can't express the feelings I'm having right now. The pain is abominable. All I wished in life was for us to have a family, to watch Robin play baseball with her father on Sundays, to go to the movies on Thursday, to have romantic dinners once a week, to sit on our rooftop talking and watching the stars till the sun came up…
Darling, I miss it all. The bed is ice-cold without you. Nothing is the same.
I need you Joe: your humor and support. You are unconditional. I need those words of yours that always make me feel better… you always had the right thing to say. I need your kisses, your hugs - the safest place on earth. I miss waking up with a smile on my face. I thought I'd never say this, but I miss your deafening snoring or the way you asked for my opinion and did the opposite. I miss fighting with you, honey, and the way we would always end up laughing about it loving each other more. I miss my other half. You know how much I'd love for us to grow old together, overcoming every obstacle and loving each other above all. But I promise I'll do my best… I'll do my best to raise that beautiful daughter of ours. Gosh, she is just like you. I think I think of you everytime I see those beautiful, hypnotizing deep blue eyes - blue eyes of sadness.
Baby, I'll never love anyone as much as I love you and I feel so guilty for letting you go there, knowing the risks. I guess I'll have to accept it….it's just incredibly hard. I know we'll be together again someday, the three of us, happier than ever.
Love you forever,
Mic
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Mariana Sanchez 10B
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For Timothy
Company C,
Second Battalion, first infantry, light infantry bright.
My husband couldn’t get a service medallion,
but I'm glad he reached for the heart of a friend.
Paper in my hands, my fingers tremble,
Petrified my skin is cold.
Read the letters, soldiers assemble,
Who is he, this man so bold?
We must go on, both you and me
Or else death will catch us three.
Remorse and grief, like a tattoo,
Will end in pain and faces blue.
You saw him parish
I wasn’t there
Wife turned widow
My heart is bare.
Fight dear warrior, fight for strength.
Don’t eat the guilt, he is dead indeed.
You’ve gone beyond the grates lands.
IF BLOOD IS HONORED, THEN SO WILL BLEED
-A widow
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Camila Cancino 10A
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Dear Ray
It hurts to know that you see me as your sister when my heart and my eyes feel something totally different. I want you, but not as a friend or brother. Ever since you left, I've come to the realization that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. My heart beats a little bit faster everytime I remember every memory of our childhood, middle school, and senior year. Oh man! Those were some of the best years of my life because you were there. There is no better way to express what I feel than to say I love you. I'm crazy in love with you and I hate myself right now for never saying how I truly felt. I will be waiting for you no matter how long, I'll be there.
I love you and I hope that wherever you are, you're thinking of me because I do, all the time.
Truly yours,
Madeline.
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Laura Ahumada 10B
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December 25, 1969
My dear sweet Barnie
I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, love.
It is Christmas and I have decided to name our daughter Emma, as you wanted. The best Christmas gift in the world would be being here with you again, by the chimney together. I miss you so so much.
Emma is feeling great, she is a really happy baby, her smile lights up my days without you. She is more than used to being here, she is really curious and likes crawling everywhere. I have taken her to the doctor two times and her health is perfect. I feel good too, but it is a little bit hard to raise her by myself without a dad by her side. I can already imagine her happy face when she meets you.
I love you more than anything,
Denise
