2016/2017
Vol. 12

The Black Lincoln

In 1970 my grandfather was an eighteen-year-old boy. One day he found out that he had been drafted by the U.S. government to serve in the Vietnam War. He was very nervous and scared to leave his home and family. His mom, my great-grandmother, was worried sick that he was not going to come home alive. As the young soldier was getting ready to leave, he said to his mother, “Don’t worry unless you see a black Lincoln with two men in military suits pull into the driveway. If you see that, I died at war.”

As the months went by, the mother missed her son more and more. One day, as she was doing the family’s laundry, she glanced up and saw a black car driving down her street. It slowed down and pulled into her driveway. As she glanced through the windows, she noticed the two men in full uniform. Her heart broke as she dropped to her knees, unable to stand. She dragged herself to the door and was face to face with her worst nightmare.

Struggling to hear through her own sobs and tears, she heard the man say, “I’m so sorry to upset you, ma’am, but I need to know if the Smiths live next door?” The men had no idea that she had a son in war. As the color returned to her face, she felt relief and guilt all at the same time, as she thought about the sadness that was about to be given to her friend Mrs. Smith. She felt angry at the loss of the young neighbor boy who had been forced into this awful war. As the car pulled out, she dropped once again to her knees and gave thanks to God, and began praying for the sweet Smiths.

Alex Baughman; Ohio, USA

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