Papa's Grave

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 05:00:00

Papa's Grave

Al Stuart
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Amy Madison

On Veterans Day, Americans pause to honor those who served the country. Al Stuart thinks of his father, an Army doctor who died just three weeks before the end of World War II. Al was young when his dad died, and he never had the chance to know him well.

In 1985, Al took his wife and daughter Amy to visit his dad’s grave in Belgium. He talks with Dick Gordon about how a caretaker's unexpected kindness moved him - and how visiting the grave brought back memories of his father.

Read about the Ardennes American Cemetery

Music in this story: The White Cliffs of Dover, performed by Jim Gibson for the album Melodies We Love: The Forties.

41-year-old Recruit

Kristi Jo Newland - larger >

For the past two decades, Kristi Jo Newland of Grand Forks, N.D. has wanted a career as a nurse. But she kept putting her dreams on hold as she became a single mom, working multiple jobs in order to raise her four kids.

When the Army raised the age limit for enlistment to 42, Kristi leaped at the chance to get her nursing education paid for. Kristi and a couple of family members spoke to Dick on the day Kristi graduated from basic training. Kristi enlisted at 41 and she has more than proved herself to both officers and younger recruits.

Kristi and the family at graduation - larger >>

She's now 43 and has received orders to deploy to Afghanistan next year.

The Story from American Public Media - Papa's Grave

Papa's Grave

Papa's Grave

41-year-old Recruit