Twenty-seven – that was all. After numerous deployments and two enlistments, Dakota’s body trauma finally overcame his ability and will to live at just twenty-seven years old.
The victim of a massive myocardial infarction, brought on by his lingering wounds, his body now lay lifeless in an old VA building, surrounded by total and complete strangers.
It was the inevitable end to a hard-fought battle the young man had no real hope of winning. The injuries he suffered during his last military operation were simply too great. So egregious, his doctors were stunned he survived at all. The physicians’ agreed prognosis – a paltry 20% of living another year. That would make him twenty-eight, still far too short a time.
All Dakota Jackson left behind was a broken marriage, an estranged child, and a very modest home. His ex-wife, bitter by his long absences, took their one and only baby boy to live with her new boyfriend, soon to be her new husband after a lengthy affair that started during his second enlistment and carried on to his last overseas deployment.
These thoughts turned over and over again in his father’s head as his dad and mom drove into town to say their last goodbyes. Hank and Juilet were more than heartbroken for the loss of their child, particularly after losing their first son to a still perplexing, abrupt end referred to by past generations as “crib death.” Their rainbow baby was taken from them at eight months old – nearly to the very day of his birth.
Now, Hank and Juilet Jackson were living the same nightmare all over again. It was a very familiar, deeply hurtful pain that pushed them into a surreal state – as if they were watching someone else go through such an unspeakable tragedy. But no; this was their reality and it brought on inescapable despair, an eerie, torturous misery.
At 67 years old, Hank had just retired a few months ago after a thirty-five-year career. His 65-year-old wife Julie was likewise retired after serving the local school district for fifteen years. They had planned to travel the country in their golden years but a lack of savings, some poor investment decisions, and two failed pension funds made that dream impossible. In fact, they could barely scrape the money together to make the trip to bury their deceased Dakota.
Even more stressful was the fact they had to drive so far, to a town neither had even heard of before. It was a fairly remote area, tucked in a rural setting, with few frills and practically no state-of-the-art conveniences. The entire community was spread way out and seemed to linger at least a decade behind in almost every single aspect.
Although, it did have a distinct, small-town charm and friendly faces greeted them at every stop as they rolled into the little village. “What a strange place for a VA facility,” Hank thought. But, he and his wife would soon learn it was on the verge of closing, due to the precipitous drop in demand for such a place. Too many folks had long ago moved out and far away.
Noon was fast approaching and they’d already been on the road for nearly seven hours, having left promptly at 5 am. Julie spotted a small park with a couple of picnic tables, a perfect spot for them to eat their pre-packed, brown bag lunch. After they took a seat under a big shade tree and began to unpack their food, a middle-aged man walked by and sat down at a nearby table.
“Hello, folks, how are you today?”
“We’re alright – how about you?”
“Just enjoying this fine weather. It’s rather pleasant, isn’t it?”
Hank and Julie both nodded in agreement and the three sat silently, eating their lunch. As the middle-aged man finished up, he noted the couple wasn’t familiar.
“Haven’t seen you folks around here before – you here visiting someone?”
Julie’s eyes immediately began to well with tears and Hank rubbed her back to comfort her.
“Forgive my wife, she’s a little emotional right now.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry, I didn’t…”
“No, no…how would you? Truth is, we’re here for our son – he just passed away.
“My condolences – you have my deepest sympathy.”
“Thank you, thank you for that. It was a total shock to us.”
Hank went on to explain what happened to their son, Dakota. The man listened patiently, careful not to interrupt.
“So, he was a veteran?”
“That’s right. Served two four-year enlistments and a whole heap of deployments. Unfortunately, the last time he was in the sandbox, things went bad, really bad. He was on a mission when all heck broke loose. It could have been a slaughter, but he put himself right in the way. He suffered through many surgeries and they helped a little, but in the end, none of it was enough…passed away from a heart attack.”
“Wow. That’s an incredible story, sad, but still, incredible. And, he lived here in town?”
“We think so. Actually, neither one of us are sure. See, his ex-wife, Liandrea, thought Julie and I were too ‘old-fashioned.’ So, deliberately distanced herself and their son from us. Sure, we spoke to Dakota now and again. But, he and our grandson, they’ve been kind of strangers for a few years now.”
“My, that’s a real shame.”
Julie could no longer hold her composure. She excused herself and walked back to their car. Hank started to pack up their things, “You go ahead, dear – I’ll be right behind you in a moment.”
“I’m so sorry to hear that.”
“Thank you, but it’s kind of a relief.”
“If you don’t mind my asking, have you already made arrangements? Mister…”
“Hank, Hank Jackson. My wife’s name is Juliet but folks usually just call her Julie.”
“Pleased to meet you, Hank. I’m Vince. I didn’t mean to stir up any trouble, but we don’t see too many unfamiliar faces in this town. Used to be a fairly big place, and now it’s down to less than 700 folks. So, everybody kind of knows one another, if you know what I mean?”
“Sure do. And, actually, no…no we haven’t, the government is supposed to take care of the arrangements for us. There’s nothing formal planned. He didn’t have any family or friends here and his ex-wife, Liandrea, I think she’s getting remarried…she moved away at least a couple of months ago. Besides, my wife and I don’t have the resources, money is tight and you know how expensive funerals are.”
“Well, I volunteer at the VA now and again. And, my church does some grief counseling, too.”
“I appreciate the sentiment and the offer. But, we’ve been through this before. Our first son died really young, only eight months old.”
“That’s all the more reason for me to lend a helping hand.”
“That’s quite nice of you. But, I think everything is pretty much squared away. His body is being donated to a college for medical students. So, there’s no funeral or burial or anything. Truth is, we couldn’t afford it anyway. Even if we sell his little house, after all the debts are paid, there’ll be nothing left.”
“Well, I’m very sorry to hear that.”
“Me too, me too. Now, I’ve got to get back to my wife. Thank you for the company and you have yourself a good day.”
Hank shook the man’s hand, put his things in the car, and drove Juliet to Dakota’s house to meet a real estate broker. The home was near completely empty. All the furniture was gone, except a queen-size bed, and just one closet contained any clothes. The kitchen was entirely empty and the refrigerator had very little food. Even the pantry was almost entirely bare – save for a few cans of non-perishables. No pictures hung on the walls and there were no toys in any of the rooms.
It was a very emotional afternoon and the day wasn’t over yet. Hank and Julie still had to pack up his belongings and give them to charity. The only items they’d keep were his uniforms and some personal effects. By the time evening came around, both were emotionally and mentally exhausted – they could only manage to make small talk with one another. The next afternoon, they’d have to visit the VA to wrap everything up – and that was something both of them dreaded.
When they woke in the morning, Hank made a quick run down to a donut shop to pick up a little breakfast. Neither he nor Juliet ate very much and they wound up feeding a few ducks in a nearby pond and squirrels foraging in the area. It gave them a bit of joy to see the animals enjoy the treats but didn’t take their minds completely off what lay ahead.
Once they arrived at the VA, they were pleasantly surprised to see a charming, historical-looking building. It looked like something out of a magazine and it was a real shame the government was shutting the facility down. Perhaps someone could take the space over and give it a new lease on life. After all, it was beautiful and the surrounding scenery made it all the more lovely.
“May I help you folks?”
“Yes, I’m Hank and this is my wife, Julie. We’re here for our son, Dakota Jackson.”
“Oh, so you’re the Jackson family? You’re Dakota’s parents!”
The woman’s enthusiastic tone was curious because it sounded as though Hank and Juliet were expected by someone important. But, that couldn’t possibly be – neither knew anyone in the place and hadn’t spoken with any of the senior administrators or military brass. Still, it was undoubtedly a welcoming experience.
“Well, yes, we are.”
“Right this way, please!”
The woman led Hank and Juliet down a big hall. The inside of the building looked much more like a resort than a VA facility, with oversized windows, crown moulding, French doors, stained glass, posh furniture, and sunlight flooding in from practically every side. Even the floors were gorgeous.
“I see you’re both taking delight in the interior features.”
“Yes, we are. It’s such a beautiful place!”
“It sure is, Mrs. Jackson. Originally, many years ago, it was a sprawling estate. It later became an upscale vacation resort. But, when the economy took a downturn, it was taken over by the VA and it’s set to close soon. It’s such a shame because it is so very nice.”
“It is indeed!”
The woman led them into a big, beautifully decorated room with several hundred people sitting silently and dozens of service members standing at attention, all wearing their best Class A uniforms. All around the room, suspended American flag banners hung, with a beautiful mahogany coffin placed at the center end of the aisle, with an American flag draped over it.
Meanwhile, a band played a low-key, bittersweet dirge, as the couple entered the room, flabbergasted by what they saw before them. The entire space had been transformed overnight, thanks to the townspeople who probably worked into the wee hours of the morning to put on such a beautifully respectful ceremony.
As the couple began to take it all in, the young man they met the day before, approached the couple.
“Vince? What is…uhm…what is all this?” Hank asked as tears streamed down his cheeks.
“It’s for you…and your son, of course.”
“It all just so beautiful”
“Thank you, Mrs. Jackson, thank you. But I’m not the one who deserves all the credit. After I met you and your husband yesterday, well, I just couldn’t…I somehow managed to get the word out. All these good folks here, every one of them did their part to make it all come together.”
Vince escorted the couple to their seats. The town pastor delivered a moving eulogy. Then, the uniformed service members carried the casket outside to a plot. A twenty-one gun salute followed and a Chaplin concluded with this touching sentiment: “For it is not just this young man’s sacrifice we honor, but also, the countless ones before him who paid the ultimate price, and sadly, the many who have yet to fall, it is them to whom we all owe a great debt.”
