My Conyers father, Harold H. Conyers, a farm boy from Marion County Kansas, told me his story of the Korean War. After boot camp, he was given the rank of sergeant and sent to the front lines in Korea. He told me stories of towns that were completely bomb, with the exception of a church. While all other building were destroyed, a church stood steadfast. He reported the glass windows did not even have one crack. There were battles where he felt it would be impossible to survive. Yet, he made a covenant with God that if his life was spared, he would attend church every week, which he did.
On the long ship ride home, he was instructed to forget what happened, what he did and what he saw. He was told to return to Kansas and live his life, just like before. The Korean war had nothing to do with the rest of his life. There was plenty of time to accept what was instructed. He and his buddies planned fishing trips and visits to their homes and to meet their families. There was an expectation of great times to come. They looked forward to going home, leaving behind the thoughts of Korea. He had taken pictures of places where he enjoyed the beauty and differences in cultures on the way home. I can't count the number of times we watched the slides of the good times, including those fishing trips planned on the ship ride home. There were medals that came home as well. They were kept in a wooden box that was never opened. The only talk of battle was his amazement of churches that remained standing, without any damage. There was nothing to recall about killings and deaths. Absolutely nothing was said about negatives. The only thing he didn't understand was why people could not take one hour out of the year to attend a memorial service.
Others were not so fortunate. There minds remained being in Korea. They were not able to return home. You may have a person living in your neighborhood but their minds did not come home on that ship ride back to the states.
Same is true for the wars and conflicts that came after Korea. Vietnam, Desert Storm, Iraq, war against terror in Afghanistan and in the world, the continued wars in Africa and in other places I am not aware of.
Thank you Father Conyers. May you rest in peace. May your hope to see and be with your Conyers brothers that you have missed for so long be made so. Thank you for being a Warrior.
Favorite picture of Harold H. Conyers from the wedding pictures of Anoria Conyers Carlson of McPherson, KS showing her Grandfather Conyers holding his cupcake that was part of the "floral" arrangement at each table at her reception dinner. Grandpa Conyers was not going to eat his cupcake until he returned home in Marion, KS. He protected it like a prized possession. Included in the picture is Anoria's Grandmother, Vivian Conyers.
During Harold's final hospitalization for pancreatic cancer, he told his grandsons, my sons, the final story of his life. He was a gardener. "I have corn, tomatoes and cancer. I would have had beets too, except for those darn deer." Picture taken on his final birthday, taken during his celebration of birth in his hospital bed at Via Christi - St. Francis Campus, Wichita, KS. Slice of birthday cake is on his table.
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