A meaningful encounter.....

After taking Matthew on a "date" in a little cafe just off the 40A busline today and eating a "tornado potato", cappacino, chocolate cake, french fries, and chicken nuggets we began to make our way home. While we were sitting on the bench waiting for the bus a well dressed, older gentleman approached. I quickly told Matthew to hop up and we would wait standing to give him our spot. He was shorter than me with a kind face. I have a tendency to smile and say "hello" to people, a sentiment that is not often returned here. Today this man approached me, he came close and said in German "you can have the bench", I said the usual, "that's okay, sorry I don't speak German." Then this sweet man engaged me. He asked me in German/English is Matthew was a boy or girl, and his age which Matthew answered in German. He regarded Matthew thoughtfully and then asked me "Are you Americans?" I told him yes, then he put out his hands in a position to indicate his hands in handcuffs and said, "I was a prisoner in America for 5 years, 1 in Alabama, and 4 in South Carolina." (honestly I had no clue that we brought German soldiers to the US for prison). He said he was captured in 1943 when he was 19 years old in Austria when the Americans came. The bus pulled up and we started quickly walking to catch it, as he stepped away from me he said quickly, "I love America" or "I love Americans", I couldn't catch exaclty the wording. I couldn't get to him on the bus a woman was standing in front of him but I wanted to know more. I prayed that we would be getting off that the same stop. Then I realized he was getting off at the U bahn stop and I was still on the bus. The bus sat parked for a moment and he scanned each window until he found Matthew and me, he waved at each of us individually making sure that Matthew saw him and looked into his eye. Then he tipped his hat, kept it tipped until we pulled away and stood waving at me until the bus was out of sight.

Today is one of those times I wish I were an eloquent writer who could somehow convey how I felt after an encounter with this Viennese man today. All I can do is try to tell the story. It is an experience that prompts me to want to read more, understand history more, and be ready more often to hear someone's story. Through my social work in the VA, Hospice and healthcare I have encountered countless American veterans. I Love veterans and am related to veterans currently serving and those who served the generations that proceeded mine. I have met people from Czech who have been affected by displacement in WWII, I have watched countless history episodes on the History Channel but today was the first time I met a veteran in the German Army. I regret more than anything not jumping off the bus and finding out the rest of the story...