Tim Buckley

Grabowski speaks to students in Melquist’s room.

Larry Grabowski

Vietnam War veteran Larry Grabowski grew up in Chicago, and attended University of Illinois at Chicago.  While attending, he obtained a finance degree, and returned later on to earn two Master’s degrees utilizing the VI bill he was rewarded with for his service.

Grabowski was drafted in 1968.  At the age of 22, he was out of college and among the older of those who were drafted, being primarily 18 and 19 year-olds.  

He trained during the summer at  Fort Polk, and got a job in infantry. As an infantryman you had to carry everything you owned on your back, having to sleep outside as well.  On very rare occasions, the men were able to sleep on cots with a roof over their heads.

“You lived outside.  You had to carry everything you own on your back, and you would be going up and down mountains, it was very uncomfortable and very hot,” said Grabowski.

On top of the heavy lifting and walking the men had to do, they also had to deal with all of the bugs and other creatures that came with the land they were marching on.  

Grabowski’s meals mainly consisted of canned foods. He was almost always sleeping on the field, that time consisting of two shifts.  Initially, he opted for the later shift, though through experience he found that he needed to change his strategy.  

Throughout his service in the war, Grabowski felt that he had a greater than 100% chance of being wounded or killed.

Unfortunately, his grim prediction became reality. He was shot in his right thigh, and the bullet went straight through his leg. He spent eight months going from hospital to hospital around the world until he made his way back to the United States.

Due to his leg wound, Grabowski was awarded with a Purple Heart for his sacrifice.  He achieved the rank of E-5, better known as Sergeant, in the Army.

Fighting in a war changed Grabowski’s perspective greatly.  To him, wars are worthless, with thousands of good people losing their lives over purely political reasons.

“I mean, the guy who shot me, I have nothing against him and he has nothing against me.  We’re fighting because of some political reason, and it makes no sense,” said Grabowski. 

Ken Burns’ series on the Vietnam War greatly affected Grabowski.  It exposed all aspects of the war, including how leaders from the United States kept the war going even after they knew that the effort was futile.  While he is glad about what he did, had he known these details beforehand, Grabowski believes he would have been much more hesitant.

Grabowski was very fortunate when he returned from the Vietnam War.  The finance company he worked for held his job, so he did not have to deal with the transformation many had to on their return from the war.

Like many other veterans, Grabowski sent many letters back and forth to his family.  His wife saved all of the letters that he wrote to her, though they unfortunately were destroyed in a basement flood before he was able to read any of them.

While Grabowski tried to initially keep in contact with those in his unit, communication eventually fizzled out.  He went to a few reunions, but recognized no one.

Laughter

This Thanksgiving season I am thankful for laughter. Everyone has their own laugh that you can identify down the hallway. It can start and strengthen friendships, it can relieve tension, and it is a universal language everyone can understand and participate in. I can honestly say that the times I spend laughing are the best parts of my day, whether I’m laughing at something funny, something that happened a long time ago but still manages to crack me up, or laughing at someone else’s laugh it never fails to be a highlight of my day. There are so many times when I’m with my friends or family, that one person starts laughing at something and everyone joins in and we’re all sitting with each other dying of laughter with tears rolling down our face. These are the times that I am so happy that I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. These are the times that I remember when I’m looking at my phone and see the wallpaper that reminds me of the times spent rolling on the floor laughing and crying. These times spent laughing with the people I love make me grateful for the laughter and memories that they have brought into my life.

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