Memories of Vets Home

To the editor,

After attaching playing cards to our bicycles with grandma’s cloths pins, the Kreck boys and I would ride out to the Vets Home. Or as we knew it, the Old Soldiers’ Home. Racing along as if we had motorcycles, we would stop at the front entrance and pull our so called bike motors off. Then ride on into the square surrounded by vets sitting on benches and wheelchairs. They always seemed to enjoy our visit as we did.

We had a lot of respect for them and enjoyed listening to their stories of the past. The staff never sent us away and there was always cookies and a cold drink waiting for us. It seemed that the vets were looking back in time when they were kids. We always acted like little gentleman so we didn’t get chased out.

I can’t say enough on how these adventures effected my life in later years. To us the vets home looked like an old fort back then. And my grandparents and Dr. Kreck always called it the Old Soldiers’ Home. When they found out us boys were going out there, they checked to make sure we weren’t acting like little devils.

The staff let us hang out there. Maybe the state should do the same. For they are losing a landmark. Those soldiers fought and died for us. What is going to be the next historic landmark to fall to the wayside?

K.W. Stevens

Wyndmere, N.D.