Donald Raymond Zimmer (1934-2013)

By Sierra Southwick

Courage is sewn into every last thread of the hat. Every last pin represents bravery. The MIA badge sewn in the back represents the brothers lost and never found. The war’s name in the front of the hat represents every drop of blood, sweat, and tears that were shed by soldiers. The hat represents battles lost and battles won, but it does not compensate for the brave men and women that never returned.

Love is sewn into every last thread of the hat. Every last pin represents sacrifice. The MIA badge sewn in the back represents the luck to have your loved ones return. The war’s name at the front of the hat represents the turmoil that our society is in. The hat represents the patriotism exerted by every man, woman, and child that either fights for their nation or waits anxiously at home for their soldier to return.

Honor is sewn into every last thread of the hat. Every last pin represents tenacity. The MIA badge sewn in the back represents the promise to return every soldier home to the best of their ability. The war’s name at the front of the hat represents fighting for what’s right and for what you believe in. The hat represents pride.

Family is sewn into every last thread of the hat. Every last pin represents one more battle that was fought to protect the ones they love. The MIA badge sewn in the back represents the salute to families that didn’t quite receive every package home. The war’s name at the front of the hate represents the collaboration of one country as a whole to fight for a common goal. The hat represents love.

Bravery is sewn into every last thread of the hat. Every last pin represents the selflessness necessary to fight. The MIA badge sewn in the back represents the soldiers that were killed while showing loyalty. The war’s name at the front of the hat reminds other Americans why they’re able to live in a free country. The hat represents the soldiers that took the brave initiative to serve for our country while the rest of America sat and ridiculed.

Struggle is sewn into every last thread of the hat. Every last pin represents the battles that were won at war, but not the battles that were won at home. The MIA badge sewn in the back represents the silent longing to have fallen with their brothers and sisters instead of fighting through life alone. The war’s name at the front of the hat reminds veterans the reasoning behind their PTSD and social anxiety. The hat represents the difficulty to return to a “normal” life where no one understands how minute America’s problems are.

Humbleness is sewn into every last thread of the hat. Every last pin represents the little amount of matter that most American’s problems have. The MIA badge sewn in the back represents how lucky you are to be alive and safe. The war’s name at the front of the hat reminds Americans that someone, somewhere, always has it worse than you do. The hat represents luck.To me, the hat represents a man that I once knew and a man that was alive before I was born. My Papa was a college dropout and eventually a bricklayer who was forced into service through a draft. In the Korean War, he was on the front line of the battle with several close friends. Harsh, dark, cold, senseless, and terrified were all that the soldiers could feel. He witnessed every single one of his fellow front line men be shot down. He always told me to never make military friends.

To the remainder of society, hats like my Papa’s should be a reminder to people that freedom comes at a hefty price. Your lack of a cell phone is nothing compared to third world countries’ lack of steady food, water, and security. A third world country’s lack of steady food and water isn’t even comparable to America’s running drinking and washing water, and our abundance of grocery stores, fast food restaurants, gardens, farms, etc. Your worry of how many friends and followers you have on social media insults a soldier that first handedly witnesses his/her brother/sister shot down in cold blood. Nothing compares.

Loss is sewn into every last thread of the hat. Every last pin represents the battles fought that were necessary to finally return home. The MIA badge sewn in the back represents the blood shed by brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, husbands, and wives. The war’s name at the front of the hat is a warning that society has a long ways to go until peace and equality. The hat represents suffering.  The hat earned and worn by brave men and women holds their story, often a story that is too painful to relive. But the memories of these stories live on in their lives as the men and women of our armed forces secure for you and me, the greatest nation, the United States of America; the home of the Free and Land of the Brave.

Sierra Southwick wrote this essay last year in her AP Literature class at Oak Harbor High School.