Henry told Kinsey that he ran into Bucky a while ago and that he told him that he had a problem. The problem was that Johnny didn’t want a funeral, but he wanted to be cremated, which was done right away. But then it occurred to him that Johnny was entitled to a military burial. Henry said that he guessed that Johnny was a fighter pilot during world war two, part of the American Volunteer Group under Claire Chennault.
Bucky thought I’d be nicer: white marble with his name engraved, and that kind of thing.
His father Chester thought that it sounded pretty good. So Bucky went out to the local Veterans Administration Office and filled out a claim form. He didn’t have all the information but he did what he could. He got the claim back after 3 months. It was marked: ‘‘cannot identify’’. Bucky called the VA, the guy send him another form to complete. The form was a request for military records. The request came back after only 3 weeks with the same rubber stamp. Bucky told Chester what happened. Chester called the Randolph Air Force Base in Texas, which is where the Air force keeps personnel files. They said that they had no record of Johnny Lee, or if they did they wouldn’t talk. They wanted to see Johnny get what he deserved. Kinsey offered to help. Henry left, he went to pickup family members who came for the wedding. He invited Kinsey for dinner. Kinsey went to Bucky’s house after Henry left. Bucky opened the door and invited her in. He gave her a pile of papers and also told her that they couldn’t afford to pay for her services. There was a death certificate, the mortuary release, his birth certificate, Social Security card, and copies of the two Veterans Administration forms. The first form was the application for burial benefits, the second a request for military records. On the latter the branch of service had been filled out, but the service number, grade, rank, and the dates the old man had served were all missing. No wonder the VA would have trouble verifying the claim. Kinsey asked Bucky if Johnny was receiving military pension. Bucky didn’t know and told her that he lived on Social Security checks and that he and Babe paid the rent. Johnny owned the property free and clear, so he used the money for food, utilities, property taxes and stuff like that. Kinsey asked him if the local VA clinic had a file number for him somewhere. Bucky said that he already went there. Then they went to Johnny’s apartment. Babe called Bucky and told him that they had to leave. Kinsey stayed to search the apartment and the boxes that were on the floor. She found nothing helpful. She heard footsteps. It was Ray Rawson; he was an old friend of Johnny’s. He was looking for Bucky. Ray wanted to rent the place. He said that Bucky was dragging his feet on the rental agreement. Ray wasn’t in the Air Force with Johnny. They met on the job. They both worked shipyards in the old days. It was just after World War two started. They searched some more and left. When Kinsey came home she saw that she had a message on her answering machine, it was form her cousin Tasha. She called Tasha; she asked if Kinsey wanted to spend thanksgiving with her and her family.
Henry told Kinsey that he ran into Bucky a while ago and that he told him that he had a problem. The problem was that Johnny didn’t want a funeral, but he wanted to be cremated, which was done right away. But then it occurred to him that Johnny was entitled to a military burial. Henry said that he guessed that Johnny was a fighter pilot during world war two, part of the American Volunteer Group under Claire Chennault. Bucky thought I’d be nicer: white marble with his name engraved, and that kind of thing. His father Chester thought that it sounded pretty good. So Bucky went out to the local Veterans Administration Office and filled out a claim form. He didn’t have all the information but he did what he could. He got the claim back after 3 months. It was marked: ‘‘cannot identify’’. Bucky called the VA, the guy send him another form to complete. The form was a request for military records. The request came back after only 3 weeks with the same rubber stamp. Bucky told Chester what happened. Chester called the Randolph Air Force Base in Texas, which is where the Air force keeps personnel files. They said that they had no record of Johnny Lee, or if they did they wouldn’t talk. They wanted to see Johnny get what he deserved. Kinsey offered to help. Henry left, he went to pickup family members who came for the wedding. He invited Kinsey for dinner. Kinsey went to Bucky’s house after Henry left. Bucky opened the door and invited her in. He gave her a pile of papers and also told her that they couldn’t afford to pay for her services. There was a death certificate, the mortuary release, his birth certificate, Social Security card, and copies of the two Veterans Administration forms. The first form was the application for burial benefits, the second a request for military records. On the latter the branch of service had been filled out, but the service number, grade, rank, and the dates the old man had served were all missing. No wonder the VA would have trouble verifying the claim. Kinsey asked Bucky if Johnny was receiving military pension. Bucky didn’t know and told her that he lived on Social Security checks and that he and Babe paid the rent. Johnny owned the property free and clear, so he used the money for food, utilities, property taxes and stuff like that. Kinsey asked him if the local VA clinic had a file number for him somewhere. Bucky said that he already went there. Then they went to Johnny’s apartment. Babe called Bucky and told him that they had to leave. Kinsey stayed to search the apartment and the boxes that were on the floor. She found nothing helpful. She heard footsteps. It was Ray Rawson; he was an old friend of Johnny’s. He was looking for Bucky. Ray wanted to rent the place. He said that Bucky was dragging his feet on the rental agreement. Ray wasn’t in the Air Force with Johnny. They met on the job. They both worked shipyards in the old days. It was just after World War two started. They searched some more and left. When Kinsey came home she saw that she had a message on her answering machine, it was form her cousin Tasha. She called Tasha; she asked if Kinsey wanted to spend thanksgiving with her and her family.
การแปล กรุณารอสักครู่..