I had a finished column a couple of weeks before the deadline – it was full of holiday cheer and stories about lousy holiday ties and food.  But yesterday changed everything.

I dropped off a lovely couple at the airport, and a line of cars was slowly creeping along, and merging was going to be tough.  A sharp-looking soldier stepped out of the car in front of me, and he helped his mom out of the vehicle.  The other occupant wasn’t having much success hauling the soldier’s tightly packed and heavy duffle bag out of the trunk, so I hopped out to help.  The mom gripped her son and said, “Your dad says to do your job with honor and not bring shame on your family’s long service history.” An airport traffic officer tried to get my attention to move my car.  But I merely pointed to the son and mother.  The officer looked over, softly muttered, “hooah,” and stepped away.  She must have been an Army veteran.

Watching this reminded me of the stories I’ve read about what the parents of the WWII Nisei soldier told them before shipping out.  The raw emotion I witnessed on December 9th gave me an even better appreciation of their feelings as their son went to war.

The Nisei soldier’s legacy of duty, honor, and loyalty is a gift.  I had an early Christmas present that night on December 9th.  I’ll remember that moment, how I felt, and what it reminded me of for many years.