Personal Aftermath

I wondered as a boy why my father remained completely uncommunicative regarding his war experiences. He could not hide the scars near his waist as he cut the grass. That he'd been horribly wounded was clear, though I couldn't comprehend the significance or sacrifice.
I did not understand why something so fascinating and compelling to me as World War 2, remained taboo through nearly his whole life. His war experience proved to me an unsolved mystery... It wasn't so much a conversation informing me not to bring it up. It was one flash of anger when I vaguely recall pressing him for information during a car ride when I was about six. And he never got angry. I recoiled and withdrew. I probably took some other stabs along the way, but the island remained impenetrable.
I can never fully understand as I never served on combat. I read. I watch. I listen to interviews. I study photos. But it will never be the same. I am grateful to friends who shared their experiences and what it is like trying to bear the great weight of memories. Perhpas the story below explains one reason some men find it difficult to discuss combat experiences. Certainly the names and situations and circumstances vary widely but this is insightful and hopeful.
A story from the Epilogue of Band of Brothers: (Photo: Sisk on Left)

Sgt. Skinny Sisk also had a hard time shaking his war memories. In July, 1991, he wrote to winters to explain, "My career after the war was to try to drink away the truckload of Krauts that I stopped in Holland and the die-hard Nazi that I went up into the Bavarian Alps and killed. Old Moe Alley made a statement that all the killings that I did was going to jump in bed with me one of these days and they surely did.I had a lot of flashbacks aft the war and I started drinking. Ha! Ha!
Then my sister's little daughter, four years old, came into my bedroom (I was too unbearable to the rest of the family, too hung over or drunk) and she told me that Jesus loved me and she loved me and if I would repent God would forgive me for all the men I kept trying to kill over again. That little girl got to me. I put her out of my room, told her to go to Mommy, There and then I bowed my head on my Mother's old feather bed and repented and God forgave me for the war and all the other bad things I had done down through the years. I was ordained in the latter part of 1949 into the ministry and believe me, Dick, I haven't whipped bu one man since and he needed it. I have four children, nine grandchildren and two great grandchildren. 
The Lord willing and Jesus tarrys (sic) I hope to see you all at the next reunion. If not I'll see you on the last jump. I know you won't freeze in the door."
The Rev.Wayne Sisk passed away to be with his Lord on July 13,1999.