VietNow
National Magazine
Kids Still Say
the Darndest Things
 And
they still "get it."
By Rich Sanders – VietNow
National President
Rich
Sanders
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Kids say the darndest things.
Art Linkletter publicly proved that statement
to be correct for 25 years on his television
show which was titled “House Party.” As
those of us who are old enough to remember
know, he would assemble a panel of “kids” who
ranged in aged from 5 to 10 years old.
As the young panel tried to act mature
beyond their age, Linkletter would interview
these children by asking them questions
that mostly pertained to their daily experiences.
Linkletter’s
style of conversational inquiry prompted
responses that were often blatantly honest
and pointedly simple. Many times the
responses were actually questions which
delved deeper into the subject than the
viewers or Linkletter thought possible
from such a young person’s
view of life. Many times Linkletter found
himself so speechless from the responses
that he could only respond, “Kids
say the darndest things.” In 1957
Linkletter wrote a book by the same name
that used fodder from that segment of
his show. The cover of his book depicted
a caricature of himself with a “red
face” as if in response to a “kid’s” comment.
I
say all of the above to attest to the
fact that kids get “it.” Whatever “it” is,
and even when we think that they do not
have the ability to understand “it.”
VietNow has had a scholarship program
in place for several years, which is
devoted to Sons & Daughters
In Touch (SDIT) members. Recipients have
to be direct descendants of KIAs or POW/MIAs
from the Vietnam War, and members of
SDIT.
John Howard Starnes, one
of the past recipients of our SDIT scholarship,
enclosed an essay with a thank-you letter
that he sent to the National Headquarters.
The essay was a four-page story that
he had written from his mother’s
point of view. The story centered around
the days leading up to, and the few days
after, his mother’s
father (his grandfather) was shot down
in Vietnam. His words described life
as his mother had lived it as a third
grader.
At this point, I must tell
you that this scholarship recipient wrote
the essay when he was in grade school.
At that time, he was just a few years older
than the third-grade girl (his mother)
he was writing about when she finds out
that her dad has been killed in a land
far, far away. Also, this is not a two-
or three-paragraph story. It is a four-page
document that describes in vivid detail
the simple carefree life of a little girl
as she goes through the days waiting for
her daddy to come home.
The story tells
about the day that a neighbor lady comes
to school to pick up her and her two
other siblings from school. Her first thought
is that she is glad to be out of school
because it is such a nice day in May.
However, on the ride back to their house,
she realizes that something is wrong because
of the lady’s silence
during the trip. Later when her mother
delicately explains the facts of the
situation, she is confused by her own
emotions.
The story goes on to describe
the day of the funeral and the family’s
response. It tells of her father’s
return to her in her vivid dreams about
him.
The essay concludes with, “Things
go on and life continues, although
forever different. The little girl, her
sister, and her brother do not talk much
about their Daddy’s death. They
were so proud of their Daddy, but he
was killed in that place, Vietnam, the
war no one won.”
To repeat, this
was written by a grade schooler about
his understanding of the impact that
his grandfather’s death
had on his mother. It is a prime
example of “Kids saying the darndest
things” vividly,
pointedly, and emotionally. He gets “it.” His
mom should be very proud of him for
his youthful understanding of his
grandfather’s
impact on the family that must carry
on. His mom should also be very proud
of the manner in which she has carried
on without her father. Obviously,
her success is proven in her children.
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