On June 7, 1967, I stood in front of the maternity glass-wall at Columbia Memorial Hospital in Hudson, New York, and peered in at my new twin nephews. My sister Zora had given birth June 5th, as her husband Mike served in Viet Nam. His children would be 2 years old before he would meet them for the first time. Standing next to me that day was the very handsome Ronny Rockefeller. He was in a summer white military uniform, holding his white cap behind his bended back as he peered in at his newly born son. I'll never forget the broad grin of joy on his face as he looked at his son. This is how I will always remember him. My sister had been school friends with his wife, Eileen (Kraft) Rockefeller. They were pleased that they gave birth to their sons on nearly the same day.
The image of Ronny in his Navy whites became ingrained in my memory even more so when I read his obituary a year later. Ronald Edward Rockefeller, a Navy hospital corpsman, was attached to the 3rd. Marine at DaNang. He arrived there May 30, and was in military action for only two days when he was shot in the neck, and killed in Viet Nam on June 7th, 1968. https://navy.togetherweserved.com Here is a general link that leads to the next link on Ronny's service. I never will forget him, or the fact that Eileen had to raise their son without his father.
https://navy.togetherweserved.com/usn/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=ShadowBoxProfile&type=Person&ID=415062
I wrote this piece with Ronny in my heart. He did not come home as he did when he left us. The truth is, hundreds of thousands, just in the past twelve years, alone, who lived through service, do not come home as the person they left. Veterans need even greater support when returning home. Just waving a flag will not do. We need to wave money, jobs, and fully paid support services for the vets and their caregivers.
Photograph by Jean Schugart-Schild
The image of Ronny in his Navy whites became ingrained in my memory even more so when I read his obituary a year later. Ronald Edward Rockefeller, a Navy hospital corpsman, was attached to the 3rd. Marine at DaNang. He arrived there May 30, and was in military action for only two days when he was shot in the neck, and killed in Viet Nam on June 7th, 1968. https://navy.togetherweserved.com Here is a general link that leads to the next link on Ronny's service. I never will forget him, or the fact that Eileen had to raise their son without his father.
https://navy.togetherweserved.com/usn/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=ShadowBoxProfile&type=Person&ID=415062
I wrote this piece with Ronny in my heart. He did not come home as he did when he left us. The truth is, hundreds of thousands, just in the past twelve years, alone, who lived through service, do not come home as the person they left. Veterans need even greater support when returning home. Just waving a flag will not do. We need to wave money, jobs, and fully paid support services for the vets and their caregivers.
Photograph by Jean Schugart-Schild
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