 |
My father, 1st Lt. Bert W. Justus, was from Calif. 15ART BN(105MM) 2 INF DIV. He had served in World War 11 and was army reserve, called back to service in Nov. 50 and left for Korea Dec. 1950. He was captured on or about Feb. 12, 1951.
In July 1951 we received a letter from my dad dated 2-12-51 saying he was a prisoner of the Red Chinese Army. My mother kept a scrapbook of letters, newspaper articles mentioning his name and correspondence from the Army. While attending a family update in San Diego.... I was given paperwork with contradicting hearsay statements regarding his death. These statements led the Army to believe my father died by May 31, 1951. Mary Castaldi |
When I was six he left again His uniform was crisp and green
And though I was a little girl
I felt so old, so wise that day
Twas Christmas day and he was gone
Fifty years have come and gone
I need to tell the story
They hold a family update
It's not that I'm a pacifist
The wars may be inevitable
World War II called out to him
And that was all it took
But he was there when I was born
I saw my baby book.
He looked into my eyes
"I'll be back with hula skirts"
And then he said good-bye.
He held me in his arms
I knew he wasn't coming back
No Dad, no skirts, no charms.
I cried upon his shoulder
I knew deep down this was good bye
He wasn't getting older.
I still can feel the shame.
The family gathered round and played
I thought they were insane.
Korea was the name
Two months later MIA
No words can share the pain.
Since we received the letter
He never came back home to us
It never does get better.
Because old men forget.
It's not just soldiers that we lose
their families are bereft
To pacify our hurt
And then they send more babies
Out to die on foreign dirt.
I'm not against all war
But I'm for talk and talk and talk
And then you talk some more.
And we will be prepared
But war should be the last resort
So little girls are spared.
Return to Korean War Home Page