A Pictorial Anecdote by Robert Kuhn.
8/2/2025
There are a lot of interesting things to do at the beautiful 629-acre Hartwood Park, but I mostly just go there to enjoy the walking trails. Hartwood walkers have a lot of options with miles of both paved and dirt trails that run through flowery meadows, fields, woods, and manicured grassy areas.
I discovered many years ago that the daily scenic walks I love have two major benefits which I take very seriously. The first one is the physical exercise benefit for my heart and body. That alone seems to be a pretty obvious no-brainer reason for walking. The second, and just as important reason, is for my spiritual and mental health well-being. So, in my opinion, walking benefits the total package.
Along with walking, I find that writing is cathartic and therapeutic as well. It is something that also aids in providing beneficial mental health and spiritual wellness. For me, walking and writing are two lifesavers that I am a strong proponent of. I advocate both, especially if you are a veteran and are able to do so.
I hope you enjoy the following pictorial anecdote about today’s walk in the park from a veteran’s perspective.
Oh man! I’m awake at 5:30 a.m. again, and it’s already starting to get light outside. If I’m lucky, I’ll be able to doze til 6:00. But that’s probably the limit. For some reason that I never planned on, but is routine now, I go to bed when it gets dark and I get up when it’s light. Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man…… Well, I don’t know about that old Benjamin Franklin saying. There might be some partial truth in there somewhere.
Okay, old man, it’s 0600. Get up, go pee, and get the coffee on. You don’t want to miss the sunrise in the park. I’m usually in my truck no later than 6:30 with a cup of coffee in hand. It’s only a five-minute drive, so I only get to drink one half cup, and then I finish the second half on the drive home from the park.
It’s a partially clear morning, but hot and humid already, as it usually is here in the summertime. I’m sure this will be a one-walk only day, because of the high humidity. So, I hope it’s a good one. When it’s cooler outside, two or sometimes three walks a day work a whole lot better at the attempt to maintain my elusive mental and physical wellness.
6:38 a.m. and I’m walking on the park trail. It’s a bit foggy, but it seems to be clearing as the sun rises. But then the fog will be replaced by a humidity haze, as you will notice in the pictures below.
I love seeing the early morning sunrise, especially when the sky is partly cloudy. This morning, the sun’s rays beam a beautiful glow on the clouds while at the same time creating a somewhat eerie contrast of light and dark areas. And, what’s cool is that as I walk farther down the hill toward the woods, the tall trees block the sun, so I can watch it rise again over the treetops. In fact, I can view multiple rises on the same walk.
Maybe it’s just me, but there’s something about the sun’s rays that seems Biblical. That is what I was referring to when I said the morning walk can be spiritual for me. When I see a sunrise like this one, I pause, close my eyes, and pray a prayer of thanks for God’s grace and the many blessings that he gives to me and my family.
Okay, enough sun gazing, it’s time to get moving on to the more physical part of the walk before it gets too hot outside. Picking up the pace burns off excessive calories, and at the same time, burns off unwanted stress and anxiety. On most days, walking is a mental health godsend! But that wasn’t the case today.
I don’t always know what triggers it, but this time I suspect it’s the weather. Today’s heat and humidity, coupled with the haziness that hangs over the trees, are reminiscent of a challenging environment that I endured more than fifty years ago. When I look across the park and see the hazy wooded hills pictured below, I think to myself, there’s the Central Highlands again, and I know that today will be one of “those days.”
Now, just so you don’t think that I am a totally unstable, insane veteran (not something that I would try to deny anyhow), below is an actual distant shot of the real Central Highlands. I took the hazy photo from a helicopter in Vietnam, just before we were inserted into that dangerous terrain. I think that you would agree that it’s not a wild and crazy stretch to see the resemblance.
It doesn’t really bother me when an out-of-the-blue recall like this happens. I am not afraid of it. It no longer upsets me. Other than, I don’t know why it happens. I guess it’s just one of “those moods” today. I could just turn around and go back to my truck. But I am here to get some exercise. I need the exercise. I have to get some exercise. I continue walking down the road, across the field, and right into the Jungle!
I don’t carry a weapon when I go for my walks, and I know that there’s no real danger in the park’s woods. Some days, something just triggers my recall and causes me to ponder and reminisce (for lack of a better word) about my Vietnam War service, and also about my fellow veterans in general. Notice that I don’t call this a flashback; that is not what I experienced today. An unsolicited, unintentional, intrusive recall of memories is a more accurate description. Just triggered, old memories, of actual events that blow through my mind as I walk along and take pictures.
“Sarge, I don’t think we should walk through there. It’s too open. If Charlie’s out there, he will be able to see us moving. We should backtrack and find some better cover.”
“Agreed, let’s not get anyone killed today! I like this cover better, and it’ll be a much safer azimuth. Have someone with a machete move forward to relieve the point man, and keep rotating squads. I don’t want any heat strokes slowing us down!”
“Sarge, we’ve come across another open area, and I see a trail, But I don’t see any signs that it’s a fresh one. What do you want to do? Turn and follow the trail? It could be booby trapped! Let’s just keep hacking our way through the bush.”
“Send word back to the Captain. We’ve found a swimming hole! Permission to swim, Sir?”
“No swimming. But Ha! You stinking grunts need a bath. Half of the men should set up a guard perimeter around the AO. Set up the M60 on the high ground. The other half of the men can get a bath. Then switch off. And NO, you can’t throw grenades in the water to kill the snakes! Shoot them if you have to, but don’t waste the frags!”
“Alright, men, feel better? We’re not far from the LZ, let’s move out.”
Well, I was glad to hear that order! I moved back out to the paved road, and that ended the jungle portion of my walk in the park today. But even as I got back on the park road, my thoughts continued about the war and veterans’ lives.
When I see these trees along the walking trail, I think to myself that they are indicative of life and death coexisting in the jungle and in war.
When I walk past this one, I think about all of the broken lives that are still struggling to live.
Walking past this next tree makes me think about disabled Veterans who are no longer whole, but are still thriving nicely.
So, why am I writing and sharing this true story along with actual pictures that I took during my walk today?
It is my hope that perhaps this story will reach out and help people contemplate in a small way, and try to understand the huge effect that war has on our veterans. If we seem different or react differently to ordinary circumstances, it may be because of our war experiences. Today’s walk in the park is just a small example of how we may not always see things in the same light as we did before, or as you do now. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. It’s just the way it is. It’s not something that we chose or regret, but it is something that many of us veterans accept and live with in our normal everyday lives.
“Kuhn! Stop with all of the bullshit writing! Break’s over… Pick up your weapon and rucksack and move on up the trail to the front. It’s your turn to walk point! Let’s get to that LZ and go home.”
“Yes Sir!”
All in all, I’d say that today’s walk was a good walk in the park. However, it turned into a longer, more exhaustive walk than I anticipated, both mentally and physically. Hopefully, tomorrow morning’s walk will be more about enjoying the beauty of the sunrise and nature, as it usually is. And maybe a shorter one too, so that the 2nd half of my coffee isn’t cold when I get back to the truck. But that’s tomorrow. We’ll see! In the meantime, I’m looking forward to watching my grandson play in his little league baseball game this afternoon.
Life is good!
May God’s grace and peace be with you.
Bob
If you enjoyed reading this story,
You can read more of Kuhn’s
articles here on his Viet Vet Blog.
And more about his books here: Bob’s Books.
RUCKSACK GRUNT - A Vietnam Veteran's Memoir 