Page 94 - Firehouse Pond

WITHOUT MY SOUL, I DO NOT EXIST

I believe our soul is at the epicenter of our awareness. Although we cannot
physically touch our soul, it is real, and it is the foundation for all emotions.

I met a Staff Sergeant named Charles. He was married to a German woman
named Rosie; she was from West Berlin. They invited me to spend
Christmas 1968 with them at her father’s house in West Berlin. The events of

that Christmas day became a turning point in my life and my U.S. Army
career.

Of course, I didn’t become a Berliner. But I quickly learned that freedom is
not free. The family’s story touched me deeply.

December 25, 1968: I joined Charles, Rosie and her father at the Berlin Wall.
The experience was bleak and humbling. It was also motivating.

Rosie’s father was gravely ill but insisted we climb the stairs of a watchtower
to see over. This was a journey he had made every day since being separated
from his family.

Within seconds, without exchanging a single word; I matured and knew in my
heart that freedom is not free.

I also knew, then and there, I was meant to be in the army, and I would do all
I could to make a difference. We Americans take so much for granted. Our
freedom is sacrosanct but also endangered.