HONORS TO SEBASTIAN J. BOSCO
MY FATHER WAS BORN IN ITALY IN 1887. HE CAME TO THIS COUNTRY WHEN HE WAS 18 YEARS OLD. AFTER SEARCHING FOR THE GOLD IN THE STREETS, HE WENT TO WORK AND TO SCHOOL AT NIGHT TO LEARN ENGLISH. HE BECAME VERY ENAMORED WITH AMERICA. HE JOINED THE ARMY IN 1917 AND WAS INDUCTED INTO THE CAVALRY IN TEXAS. HE FOUGHT IN FRANCE DURING THE WAR. HE WAS DISCHARGED IN 1919 AND AGAIN IN 1920.
HE HAD SEVERE HEALTH PROBLEMS AND SPENT MUCH TIME IN THE VETERAN'S HOSPITAL. HE WAS 100 PERCENT DISABLED AND, SO WHEN THE COURTS AWARDED US TO HIS CARE, HE COULD NOT KEEP US ON A SMALL PENSION. WE BECAME FOSTER CHILDREN. HE CAME TO SEE US EVERY SATURDAY EXCEPT FOR WHEN HE WAS IN THE HOSPITAL.
WHEN HE BECAME VERY ILL, HE TOLD ME HE WANTED TO BE BURIED IN SOLDIERS' FIELD AND THAT THEY WOULD HONOR HIM AT HIS FUNERAL AND HE WOULD BE PROUD. I PROMISED TO SEE THAT IT WOULD BE DONE. THE V. A. TOOK CARE OF EVERYTHING WHEN HE DIED. AT THE FUNERAL THERE WAS A FLAG ON HIS CASKET, BUT THERE WERE NO SOLDIERS PRESENT. THEY SAID A PRAYER, FOLDED THE FLAG AND GAVE IT TO ME. I ASKED WHAT HAPPENED TO THE HONORS AND THEY SAID, "THAT'S IT'....
I CALLED DIFFERENT AGENCIES IF THEY COULD DO THE HONORS THAT I BELIEVED HE WAS ENTITLED TO AND THE ANSWERS WERE, "IT'S TOO LATE, FORGET IT, GET A LIFE, ETC." MY FATHER LOVED THIS COUNTRY. HE LIVED ON A SMALL PENSION AND NEVER HAD THE THINGS MOST PEOPLE HAD, BUT HE NEVER COMPLAINED. I WAS TOLD TO CALL VETERAN'S AFFAIRS IN BOSTON. I WAS AGAIN TOLD, "IT'S TOO LATE, FORGET ABOUT IT, ITS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN." THAT MADE ME ANGRY AND I CONTINUED TO CALL OTHER AGENCIES AND FINALLY REACHED MR. KURT RODAR AT THE BOURNE NATIONAL CEMETARY HE TOLD ME MY FATHER WAS ENTITLED AND HE WOULD HELP ME. HE GAVE ME THE COURAGE TO CONTINUE. SINCE MY FATHER WAS BURIED IN CONN, HE GAVE ME OFFICES TO CALL THERE, BUT TO NO AVAIL. AT FT. DRUM, IVIN HEINZMAN WAS VERY HELPFUL AND SET IT UP FOR SEPT. 22,2001 AT 11:00 AM WHAT A WONDERFUL DAY! THANK YOU, KURT RODAR, IVIN HEINZMAN AND THE DETAIL FROM FT. DRUM, FOR A DREAM COME TRUE AND A PROMISE KEPT! I WAS 30 WHEN I STARTED THIS AND I AM NOW 71. I AM SO HAPPY THAT I NEVER GAVE UP.
