MY EXPERIENCES WHILE ON VACATION IN
SUNNY SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
September, 1996
I Left for California on Thursday, September 19th, 1996. Arrived at 5:00PM, due to some problems with my last leg plane in San Francisco, and had to change planes there.
This trip turned out to be a very special and strange trip, to say the least. To briefly explain the things that precipitated these experiences, one has to be familiar with some things pertaining to my past.
Back in 1967, I attended my High School 5 Year Reunion. While there, some news passed around regarding former classmates. This news changed my life forever. I learned that two good friends of mine had been killed in Vietnam. For many years this news troubled me and since I was involved in the Vietnam Experience myself, this news hit home with greater poignancy than ever.
I had tried for a long time to find family members of my lost friends, so I could "Come Home" to them, but never had such luck. Recently, I had tried again, by using the FVVM (FRIENDS OF THE VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL) Web Site, and also sending out letters to people bearing the last name of KELLY, still living in La Crescenta, CA, since this was where my friend, Greg Kelly lived before joining the United States Marine Corps., and heading off to Vietnam and his death. I used, this time, the National Phone Book, which is on CD-ROM, and can be found at local Libraries. My name search, using this method, came up with a possible 15 names. I sent off letters to each of them, resulting in not so much as one response. Perhaps if I had included return postage, I may have at least had a courtesy of even a negative response.
Anyway, I had spent the better part of 29 years mourning the loss of these friends. I will honor them here:
GREGORY PAUL KELLY, LCPL, USMC
Age 22
Killed in action by small arms fire,
Thua Thien, RVN
July 30, 1944 - June 10, 1967
&
GARY NELS NELSON, CPL, USMC
Age 21
Killed in action by land mine,
Quang Nam, RVN
December 24, 1944 - June 4, 1966
On Monday, September 23, 1996, my friend, Charlene MacDonald and I, drove up to Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California, so I could place flowers on the graves of my fallen comrades.
Entering the park, and driving up to the general area of where these sites were located, I had difficulty locating them, so my friend, Charlene told me that we could get the receptionist at the Gate of the Park to draw maps to the sites, so we drove down and I got out and walked up to the receptionist at the Gate, and I told her that I was having trouble finding my friend, Greg Kelly's grave site. She found the site in her book, and drew a map for me; then I told her I couldn't find Gary Nelson's grave site either, and she looked at me strangely, and said, "You don't mean the Gary Nelson, who was unfortunately blown up by a land mine in Vietnam?" I said "YES!! How did you know that? And she told me that her family was good friends with his family. I was so shocked, hearing this, as I could not find them in the book and for many years had tried to locate them. She told me that Gary was an only child, and although it grieved the family greatly, they bore their loss with much dignity. Then I said, "Yes, I remember they ran Tommy's Flower Shop in Glendale" and she said, "No!, his parents owned a stationery store. I knew my friend, Gary's parents ran a flower shop, not a stationery store, and she then got on the phone and called someone who knew more, and they told her, no, they did run a stationery store, so the lady at the gate, Mary Prindle, started to really think, and she told me that her son, years back, had worked for Tommy's Flowers as a delivery man, and she then called him. (What are the odds of this ever happening in life: she knowing both families?)
He told her that yes, the Nelsons who ran Tommy's Flowers had a son named Gary, but he didn't go to Vietnam!!! He told Mary that he is still alive and living in Arizona! The incredible news that there had been two Gary Nelsons living in Glendale astounded me. It turned out, that "my" Gary attended our school (Herbert Hoover High School), and the other Gary Nelson attended Glendale High School across town. You have no idea what this news did for me!!! I broke out in a rush of tears hearing this news.
It is no surprise to me, that when my former classmates at the 5 year Reunion saw the obituary of a Gary Nelson, they too, believed what I thought to be true, not knowing that there was another Gary Nelson, across town, so I am sure, I am not the only person who has missed Hoover Class of '64's Gary Nelson all these years, and not knowing he is still alive and well in Arizona! This misinformed knowledge will change at the next reunion of the Class of '62, our 35 year Reunion, coming up in October, 1996. I will see to it.
Gary Nelson was a member of Hoover High School's class of '64, but known and liked by all who knew him. This news will gladden the hearts of all of those who have missed him, as it did mine, and will share in the joy of this wonderful revelation.
The strangest thing about this story is that the lady at the Gate knew both Nelson families and was the KEY to solving this mystery for me. She was very sweet and helpful to me, and told me if I drove out to North Hollywood, to Tommy's Flowers, Gary's Aunt who runs that store would help me find where my friend is. I'd like to Honor this lady, for her help in solving this mystery...
THANK YOU MARY PRINDLE!
Mary Prindle told me to go up and place the flowers on Gary Nels Nelson's grave anyway, as he was a sweet and kind young man, and I said, no matter if I didn't know him, I had mourned him vicariously for 29 years, and would NEVER forget him, and would wear his Memorial Bracelet in spite of not knowing him in life, for we all were brothers on that Hill, so Charlene and I went up to the Court of Freedom, where these two were buried, and for the space of maybe 25 minutes, I searched for the sites.
I finally found the Garden of Honor, where Gary Nelson's ashes rest, and there, I placed the flowers to his memory, and said a silent prayer for and to him... "Bro, though we didn't know each other in life, you and I will always be friends, and we shall meet one day when it is my time to cross over the River Styx, that's a promise! God Bless you Gary Nelson, and give you Eternal Rest, you have earned it!"
After spending some quiet time there with his memory, I left the locked garden, and resumed my search for Greg Kelly's grave.
Having difficulty again in finding this site, as all the markers were old and obscured to my eyes, now filled with tears, my friend, Charlene, who is greatly blessed with Spiritual Insight, told me, looking down the long lawn, to perhaps half a block away, two flags standing alone on the green. She said, "See those flags, Ken? That's his grave." I was surprised by that, but trusting in her, for she has demonstrated to me many times over the 35 years of knowing her, that when she has impressions like that, to believe in them. We walked on over to the site where the flags were, and sure enough, it was Greg's Grave site!!! Knowing my friend, I was once again, proved, that God does speak, still, to his children, here on the earth.
I spent a long time, there with Greg, and told him that we have always been friends, and will continue to be till once again, we meet in that place where there will be no more tearful good-byes, pain and no more wars.
His bronze memorial plaque had a wonderful inscription on it, and had recently been cleaned, and with the flags present, told me that he has family members who come here regularly to pay tribute to his life, and his memory. That gladdened my heart, and told me that I will one day, meet them. I made a pledge to myself then, to continue this search, until I find them. Greg was one of the sweetest guys I knew. I knew him since third grade, when we both attended Lincoln Elementary School, in La Crescenta, California. We continued friendship on through High School, when we parted our ways, with me joining the Navy, and he, the Marine Corps; both ending up in South East Asia. I returned to continue my life: Greg returned in a body bag, and now rests peacefully there in the Court of Freedom.
We will continue our Friendship till the end of my life, and onward throughout eternity. I was saddened at his loss, but gladdened by finding my friend Gary Nelson, still alive, and living well, in Mesa, Arizona. I will also honor the memory of the other Gary Nelson, who didn't return from Vietnam, and these three will continue to be my Bro's forever.
It seems, that with every loss in this life, there is a new beginning, and must continue the Faith I have in a Wonderful Reunion someday. That search for loose ends in California, proved that this is true. My Faith in a Loving and Caring Father in Heaven has been added upon through this wonderful experience, and am happy and glad in the Hope of a Future Life of Peace with all my friends and loved ones.
My friend, Charlene, as I said, has, many times, proven to me that she has a Gift of Spiritual Insight, and that faith was bolstered tremendously during this stay in California. It was demonstrated to me up there on the top of Forest Lawn Memorial Park, in the Court of Freedom, that day, and countless times in the past, but was again demonstrated the following day, when I wanted to visit the graves of my mother and father, who rest on the side of a hill, overlooking Burbank, California, at Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills.
We had driven up there that morning (September 24th), and I got out, and was having trouble, once more, in finding the sites, as many years had passed since I was there; trees had grown; new shrubs had been planted, and I found myself getting frustrated in not being able to find the graves. From way up on the side of the hill, I looked down the grassy green, to the car, and noticed Charlene getting out, and walking over to a place beneath a large pine, and without any trouble, found the graves and called to me, "Here they are!" Should I be surprised? Amazed? Not at all! Why? Because of the many years of experiencing this gift of her's and because, as I said before, she has the Eyes to See, and the Ears to Hear.... She is my friend, and I have learned to trust her intuition.
This trip to California opened my eyes and my ears. It gave me a new birth of Faith in God, in my friends and in the Future. My life has been blessed many times by many good people and many wonderful sweet memories. This trip was a true Home Coming for me, and will be added to all the wonderful memories that I have in my heart.
My life was blessed by Greg Kelly, back in 1952, Charlene (Oakley) MacDonald in 1961, Gary Nelson in 1962, and shared with Gary Nels Nelson in 1967 and shared with all four, for over 32 years. This past experience has truly changed my life forever.
Jake
September 29, 1996Addendum: After returning home to Wisconsin, I got on the phone and called Gary Nelson who lives now in Mesa, Arizona, and related to him the entire story above and he was amazed! His words, "Well rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated!"
It was wonderful to talk to my old friend again after so many years of thinking him dead, a casualty of Vietnam. We got to renew old friendships and talk about each other's lives. So sometimes good things come to good people!
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