Seeing the human side of lost soldiers

Ken Johnston

This past week I visited with Asta Westberg in Bergland. I went there to get information for a story on the late Carl Westberg, her brother-in-law.
He was killed in action 60 years ago. Growing up I heard about many men who had lost their lives in the war. Often I thought of the sacrifice they made and how lucky I am to live the way I do because of it. But until my visit with Asta the other day, one thing was missing from my thoughts about the deaths of those soldiers.
Asta had a letter that was written by the wife of another soldier who had served with Carl. She reprinted portions of a letter her husband had written to her telling her about this great man he knew by the name of Carl Westberg.
He spoke of Carl’s love of nature and his life living in God’s unspoiled heaven known as Bergland.
He also spoke of how Carl’s death made him, for

the first time, hate the enemy.
Too often I have thought of the war and the lost soldiers. But rarely did I think of the person that was taken from those who loved them.
Perhaps Hollywood is to blame for I grew up with war movies playing at the theater and rarely did we see into the human side of the cold edged tough guys sent to fight the Germans and the Japanese.
But in all reality, all of those men lost were just like you and me. They had loves, interests and lives. All of that was taken from them so that we could continue to love life like we do.
To Carl and all those who died for our freedom I say “Thanks” and to their families, “I am sorry for your losses.”
–Until then,
Ken