The documentary film portraying our ceremonies on the land, Veterans Journey Home: Leaving It On the Land, has impacted one of our supporters…
Dave Menicucci, is a personal trainer who lives in Redwood City, CA. Dave has two family members, his father and a cousin, who served in the military and are interred at the Golden Gate National Cemetery in San Bruno, CA and another non-military cemetery nearby. His dad, David Menicucci, served in battle with the Infantry during World War II in the Philippines. His cousin, who was more like a big brother to Dave than a cousin, was Joseph Lucido, a Lance Corporal in the US Marine Corps. Joe died in service in Vietnam at only 22 years of age, when Dave was 19 years old.
“I went to Holy Cross Cemetery and the VA Cemetery to pay my respects to my Dad and Joe. First, I went to my Dad’s grave at Holy Cross and put a flag down to honor him. I set up a chair under a nearby tree so I could spend some time with him. In the hour I spent with him, I thanked my Dad for his morals and for the ethics he passed down to me. I told him that now, as a fully-grown adult with now decades of experience, I can understand his struggles. I told him that I have so much respect for what he went through. My Dad served in the Army during World War II in the Philippines. He served in battle and was awarded a Purple Heart for his wounds. He never talked about his experiences in the war very much, and what I know about his time at war I learned from my Uncle Bruno, my Dad’s big brother.”
“According to Uncle Bruno, one night during the battle of Cebu in the Philippines, my Dad was hunkered down in a foxhole with his best friend, who was killed by sniper’s fire. There was fighting and my Dad couldn’t move, so he stayed close by his dead friend all night long. That night he asked God “Get me out of here, and I will never ask for much”. And after he returned home from the war, he never did ask for a lot. He lived a simple, quiet life in San Francisco with my Mom, me and my brother Steve. As I said, he never did talk much to us about the war. Uncle Bruno once told me that emotionally, my Dad died during that long, dark night in the foxhole with his friend. I believe my Dad suffered from an enduring sadness and probably survivor’s guilt until he passed away in 1991 when he was 66 years old.”
“Seeing those beautiful Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans in Leaving It On the Land made me wonder: what if my Dad had been able to take part in such a healing ceremony like those who went out on the land with Veteran Rites? I believe that if he had been able to do that, my Dad probably would have had a different and more fulfilling life. But that wasn’t available to him and the World War II veterans. I’m glad that option is available to those who serve our country today.”
“After I left my father’s grave at Holy Cross Cemetery, I went over to the VA cemetery in San Bruno to be with my Cousin Joey. Joey and I were really close when we were growing up. He was three years older than me, and our birthdays were one day apart. Joey really was more like a big brother to me than anyone in my life. He was a wonderful coach to me in athletics, and he helped set me on the path I am on to this day as a personal trainer and health care professional. I think of him every single day.”
“Joe was drafted into military service when he was about 21 years old, divorced, and a very young father. At the induction center in San Francisco he was persuaded to join the Marines. Like most draftees, he was sent to serve in the war in Vietnam. His job there was to work on medical crews on the helicopters that were sent out to collect our dead and wounded soldiers after combat. He was killed by sniper’s fire by a Viet Cong soldier after his unit arrived at the scene of a battle where we lost men. Joe was just 22 years old when he died, leaving behind a one-year-old son and the rest of our family.”“I set up my chair under a flag standing near Joe’s grave, and I sat with him for about an hour. As I was just about to leave, a man approached me and asked: “Who are you here for?” So I told him the story.”
“After listening to me, this man took his finger and pointed towards a dozen nearby gravestones, left, right and center before us. And then he told me…
“I was their platoon leader. I knew them when they were all 19, 20 and 21 years old. A few of them died in my arms.”
“This man, I never got his name, went on to explain that he comes to this place every year to be with these fallen comrades. Each year, he waits to see whoever comes so he can be with them as well. He is 72 years old. He told me that to this day he asks and wonders why it is they died, and why it is that he is the one who survived.
“This man must have been there all day. He told me that two hours before I arrived, one man’s sister came to visit her departed brother, and he spent time consoling her. After we spoke for about a half hour, we packed up our things, left the gravesites, and walked over to our cars. In that short period of time, it was only 30 minutes, I felt such a deep connection with this man, my cousin’s platoon leader. I can only imagine the depth of the bonding that must exist amongst our veterans.”
“We both drove away. I left that cemetery feeling tremendous gratitude to my Dad, to Cousin Joey, and to all the veterans. Deep gratitude.”
Please check our events calendar for Veteran Rites and partner programming that bring our warriors home to true identity, purpose, and belonging after military service.
Click here to learn about Veterans Journey Home: Leaving It On the Land and Warrior Films.
