I was just watching “Flags of Our Fathers” and it bought back memories of my friend Jink who died a few years ago and was listed as MIA after that battle.
After I graduated high school I took a job working at a saw mill, owned by Jink and Marry, the foster parents of my fiancé. It was meant to be something to do me until I found a better job and lasted almost 9 years during which time I finished college. Jink was one of the most incredible people I have ever met. He had to leave school in 8th grade to support himself after his mother died and his father set him and his brother out on their own. He gave John the chickens and Jink the horse. Jink was mad at first because John sold the eggs and made money every day, but he was one smart guy. He started timbering and made very good money for those days and by the time I worked for him he had a lumber empire. I could go on and one for days writing about him and in fact his wife Mary has a book published called “Jimmy Lee” about his youth. He was my friend and mentor until his death 5 years ago and I can’t begin to sum up the things he taught me about life.
One day I saw a photo of him in a sailor outfit and asked about his experiences in WW2. He told me a couple humorous stories and then Mary said, “He gave us a scare one time. His name came up on the list of missing.” Jink would not elaborate, dropped his head and left the room. I wanted to know more and so I asked, but all Mary knew was his story of falling asleep behind a palm tree and missing his troop move out. Jink told a lot of stories in the same manner whenever it was something that would worry anyone, and no one could ever get the truth out of him.
I asked Jink a couple times in the next few years as we held that saw mill together with a cutting torch and bailing wire. He would just laugh and say, “I fell asleep behind a palm tree and that bald headed (his slang for stupid) sergeant thought I was missing.” One day I got his brother John to tell me it was Iwo Jima, and that made me even more curious but I never got any more out of Jink. I always wondered, why not tell me? It was over 40 years since the war, I wasn’t the type to overdramatize or tell anyone if he didn’t want me to, but after watching “Flags of Our Fathers” I think I understand.
