813. How Wayne and I met, and the significance of July 4th in our lives!

This was first written on July 4, 2016. 

 Tomorrow, July 4th, is the anniversary of two major events in my husband Wayne D Eckman's life!

In 1953, he returned home from his 2 and a half year mission to Sweden,  and was awaiting his draft papers to be in the army, during the Korean War period.  In August, the next month, is when Wayne and I were introduced by mutual friends, on a blind date.  My best friend from Dixie High School had married one of his best friends in Murray, Utah.  They picked me up from an old Church in Salt Lake City, I forget which one, where we were attending a family reunion.  We just rode around and they 2 men mostly talked about memories of their high school days, and Wayne's mission.  Wayne said he would write to me, and I told him to write to:  Pal Miles, St. George, Utah, and it would get to me!  It would in those days.  

         My favorite photo of Wayne on his mission to Sweden, 1950-1953.

Then Wayne went in the Army in September, 1953, and didn't write to me until the next May!  He and his twin brother Blaine had their training, etc., and were sent to Trieste, near Italy, instead of Korea.  We wrote letters for 14 months, until he again came home on July 4th, 1955 from the army!  So July 4th has always been a special holiday for us, for personal reasons, including our country's freedom.  I had graduated with an Associate Degree in Dixie College, and had one year at BYU while he was gone, and I was working for the summer at the Genealogical Society in Salt Lake City when he came home.  He came in his army uniform on July 4th to meet me -- the day he got home!

I had signed up with the BYU students to go and be in group scenes in the Hill Cumorah Pageant, and was leaving on July 28th, to be gone until August 22nd.  We saw each other every day but 2 days in those 3 weeks, and the night before I was to leave the next morning, July 27th, he proposed to me, and I was wearing my diamond ring on my way to the Pageant!

I have written more about this in other blogs.  But today I am going to visit his grave, and also I want to post something I put on Facebook last night:

I HAD A LOVELY EXPERIENCE TODAY!I was in Costco today , and got to the check stand to pay forwhat I had in my basket, and I couldn't find my check book! I hadleft it home.
I began to say, I had forgotten my check book and would
take the food back, and the man in the line just in front of me said -- "No, I'll cover it. I'd be glad to!" It surprised me so much, and I said "Thank You, Thank you!"

He had his wife and son who looked about 9 or 10 years old. She said that they were happy to do this.
I thanked them again with tears in my eyes, and they said "Have a happy July 4th!" It was about $35.
I thought what a great example they had given their young son, of being kind to an "old lady"!

They didn't know I was a widow of only 4 months, and that July 4th was such a special day to me because my husband Wayne, of over 60 years, had come home from the army on July 4th, 61 years ago! After we had met on a blind date and then had written letters for 14 months.

It brought tears to my eyes, and still does! There truly are kind good people in this world!

Have a wonderful Sabbath Day, everyone, and a Happy 4th of July tomorrow! 

Below is a picture Wayne sent to me, while I was writing to him in the army.