Zeke
July 26, 2017
I met Zeke, who is 70 years old, hanging out on a bench listening to some music with his portable stereo next to his good ear.
Zeke is a military veteran who retired in 1972. He earned 3 purple hearts while serving; one for injuring his leg, another for jumping off of a helicopter too early, and for a bullet grazing the back of his head causing him to lose his hearing in his left ear.
I told him thanks for his service and he replied, "I earned all of them by accident."
He buried all of his purple hearts and his father's one from World War II with his father after he died. "I didn't want one of my (26!) kids to steal them and sell them."
Zeke grew up in Minnesota and his dad taught him not to kill anything he wasn't willing to eat. Zeke once killed a squirrel and his dad put it in his lunch box when he was in grade school. Zeke learned his lesson and never killed anyone in a war or ever.
Read MoreI met Zeke, who is 70 years old, hanging out on a bench listening to some music with his portable stereo next to his good ear.
Zeke is a military veteran who retired in 1972. He earned 3 purple hearts while serving; one for injuring his leg, another for jumping off of a helicopter too early, and for a bullet grazing the back of his head causing him to lose his hearing in his left ear.
I told him thanks for his service and he replied, "I earned all of them by accident."
He buried all of his purple hearts and his father's one from World War II with his father after he died. "I didn't want one of my (26!) kids to steal them and sell them."
Zeke grew up in Minnesota and his dad taught him not to kill anything he wasn't willing to eat. Zeke once killed a squirrel and his dad put it in his lunch box when he was in grade school. Zeke learned his lesson and never killed anyone in a war or ever.