By SHARON PRINTZ
John Daniel Link, my brother, died this year. He was drafted into the Army when he was 19 and served proudly in the Vietnam War from 1966-1968. He loved our country, but went reluctantly, because he did not want to leave home, family and friends. Danny’s experiences in war left him with bitter emotional scars, bad dreams, as well as physical issues.
None of these changed his patriotic devotion to our country. He loved the USA, proudly wore “I Stand for Freedom” and “Go to Hell, Ho Chi Minh” T-shirts and banded together with other veterans in Somerset, KY to live out his life. One friend, John Dabney, was especially close to my brother, and I would like to honor him as well. Those two small town boys were more than friends, they became as close as brothers. Thank you, John, for loving my brother and standing with him all these years.
I can think of many stories of how my brother showed his love for family and country, but the title and lyrics of the Statler Brothers song, “He’s More Than a Name on the Wall” says it all.
Listen to that song along with “God Bless the USA” this Veterans Day to remember our veteran heroes, and if you get a tear in your eye, it is okay, so will I.
