莱镇人文第八期：James Ramsey U.S. Navy Veteran

Scroll down to read in English

编者按

“Old soldiers never die, they simply fade away”

- General MacArthur

如果说生活需要仪式感，节日就是我们最直白的纪念。每年都有特定的节日, 庆祝对我们很重要的人，如母亲节，父亲节，还有退伍军人节。退伍军人，顾名思义，是那些把青春献给国家，为和平而身先士卒的人。铁打的营排流水的兵，没有一名士兵戎马一生。每一位士兵都终将退伍还乡，成为千千万退伍军人中的一员。

老兵们现在在哪里？

他们在忙些什么？

他们喜欢什么？

他们有什么样的个性和执念？

莱镇人文第八期人物Jim Ramsey便是千千万名的退伍军人之一。他在60年代就读康奈尔大学期间加入了海军军官的基础培训。1968年身赴越战前线，带领海蜂营暨海军建筑营修筑道路桥梁等军事辅助设施，帮助海军陆战队进行两栖作战。退休后的Jim热心社区，加入莱镇退伍军人协会，十年如一日地为老兵服务。这次疫情期间，针对老兵们被封闭隔离更加孤独的困苦，Jim 投入了更多精力照顾贝德福德医院的老兵们，并与社区各组织团体合作，组织为老兵送温暖献爱心和有声读物捐赠等活动。

作为社区一员，我们能为老兵做什么？答案其实很简单，像Jim一样，从小处着眼，力所能及地贡献自己的时间和精力。无论是在硝烟战场，还是面对没有硝烟的疫情。奉献精神，就在如此点点滴滴数十年如一日的坚持里， Jim就是这种奉献精神的社区化身。

James Ramsey

詹姆斯·拉姆齐 (James Ramsey)出生于密苏里堪萨斯城(Kansas City, Missouri)一个普通中产的家庭。1961年就读于康奈尔大学土木工程系。毕业后，在美国海军服役5年，先后在加州长滩，密西西比格尔夫波特（Gulfport), 和圣地亚哥负责海军建造工程。其间两次奔赴越战前线。退伍后进入哈佛商学院学习工商管理，从事商业与技术咨询工作。James和夫人Barbara是莱镇老居民，在莱镇已经居住了近半个世纪, 儿子大卫和约翰也在莱镇长大，就读于莱镇高中直至毕业。James目前是莱镇退伍军人协会的董事会成员以及贝德福德医院的长期志愿者。

对于在贝德福德（Bedford MA）医院居住的退伍军人，书籍，电影，音乐，以及陪伴让他们得以飞跃病房的阻隔，与外面的世界展开有意义的联系。能够帮助这些对国家付出了如此之多的军人，是无上的荣幸。

James Ramsey的故事

孰知不向边庭苦

詹姆斯·拉姆齐 (James Ramsey)1940年11月27日出生于密苏里堪萨斯城（Kansas City, Missouri）。

吉姆的童年很平常。他的父亲是一名土木工程师，在堪萨斯市水务局担任总工。妹妹盖尔比他小三岁，兄妹俩一起长大，在公立学校求学。父亲换了工作后，全家移居新泽西，成了东岸人。1961年，吉姆高中毕业，顺利地进入康奈尔大学（Cornell University），学习土木工程。

与普通中产家庭的孩子不同的是：吉姆成长的年代很特殊—跨越了整个韩战到冷战时期。

吉姆记得在他整个童年时期，学校时不时地会进行演习，学生们甚至被告知如果发生核袭击要躲在课桌底下。幸运的是，对于孩子们来说，这些演习可能更像是游戏，远不如父母们对此感受更深。

然而正如杜甫诗云：随风潜入夜，润物细无声。时代的痕迹在不经意间已经打在人们的心里。

宁为百夫长，胜作一书生

1961年9月，康奈尔大学迎新活动中寻常的一天。熙熙攘攘的人群中，有人在谈论海军后备军官训练团（NROTC）项目，年轻的吉姆仔细听着。一个念头突然诞生在青年的脑海：加入ROTC，加入海军，这是报效国家的极好途径。那一年，吉姆17岁，在进入常青藤大学的第一周参加了对海军军官的基础培训的海军ROTC计划。

四年整整八个学期，吉姆在海军科学的领域徜徉，深入学习了包括海军作战，工程学，武器、战略知识等各方面的课业。他还参加了一系列的夏季舰艇巡逻实习，以获取实际的军事经验。与此同时，他也出色地完成了原本就要求很高的土木工程系的常规课业，并在第五年，也就是1966年6月从康奈尔毕业，获得了土木工程硕士学位。之后他接受了海军的委任，成为海军土木工程师团的一名少尉。

毕业五天后，吉姆与芭芭拉·斯宾塞（Barbara Spencer）结婚，之后，带着新婚妻子来到位于加州的惠内姆港。土木工程师军官学校（CECOS）在那里，所有土木工程师军官都需要去那里接受高级培训，以了解海军设施的建设和管理。吉姆在CECOS呆了两个月时间，随后接受了第一个任务：在离惠内姆港不远的长滩海军基地担任负责建设的助理居民官。

之后的一年半时间，吉姆督管了20个建筑项目，并意识到对于甫出校门的年轻军官来说，这是一项完美的工作。1966年到1968年，也正是越南局势升温的时期。同年3月，吉姆接到命令加入位于越南的美国海军机动建造营第62营（NMCB-62）。当晚吉姆向芭芭拉展示了调令。夫妻双方都意识到一种全新的海军经历即将到来。

Jim Ramsey - 1968

初随骠骑战渔阳

1968年4月，吉姆抵达密西西比州格尔夫波特，向海军建设营中心报到。格尔夫波特也是NMCB-62的母港。5月，他飞往南越岘港入营。此时NMCB-62已于数月之前部署此地。芭芭拉留驻密西西比州，她是吉姆身后永恒的港湾。

在整个越战期间，海军建设营（即海蜂营）为从事战斗的海军陆战队提供营建支持，建造陆战队完成任务所需的道路，桥梁以及飞机场。海蜂是一支技术高超的建筑工匠队伍，包括钢铁工人，木匠，电工，水管工等，他们能够在敌人进攻的威胁下开展工作。吉姆（Jim）在岘港（Danang）被任命为该营的行政干事，负责行政与人事管理。

尽管吉姆和他的海蜂们并非征战于前线（那是海军陆战队的工作），但与战场毗邻依旧令他们直面危险。火箭炮、迫击炮如影随形，几乎在越南的每一个地方，海蜂营都要面对炮火，而且袭击通常发生在夜晚。吉姆很快就学会了如何在炮火攻击下保护自己的正确程序，这通常意味着找到一个掩体，藏身，然后祈祷。尽管有各种预防措施，悲剧依然无可避免。在一次夜袭中，一枚火箭直接击中了海蜂营的一个居住区，夺走了三名海蜂的生命。

1968年10月，NMCB-62成功完成了它所负责的营建项目，回到了格尔夫波特。

六个月的母港休整，不仅让海蜂们得到了充分的休息，也让他们有机会接受战斗训练，以及熟悉下一部署所需要完成的工程项目。

Jim Ramsey - 1969

时光荏苒，转瞬即是1969年4月。吉姆和建造营的其他士兵回到了越南。这一次，他们的基地是东河，南越广治省辖下的一个小镇，距离南北越之间的非军事区只有十英里。这次军事行动中，吉姆是查理连（C连）的连长。

历史上的广治山川林立、丘陵纵横，是一个花草繁盛的美丽地方。然而臭名昭著的橙剂摧毁了一切。当吉姆来到东河的时候，所见已是一片荒芜。

NMCB-62在东河基地部署了八个月，期间两个主要项目是两座大桥，都在甘露河上。一座是甘露大桥，在东河以西约七英里的甘露镇附近；另一座是东河镇的东河大桥，一号公路必不可缺的枢纽。一号公路北连河内，南通西贡，是贯穿两越的大动脉。对于第三海军陆战队的主要作战基地东河以及广治省周众多的海上作战基地来说，这两座大桥是基地得以正常运行的关键。

甘露大桥

甘露镇的旧桥早已毁于上一个季节的季风。吉姆查理连的任务就是建造新的甘露大桥。抵达东河之后，查理连马不停蹄从无到有开始了这座长达460英尺的钢筋混凝土大桥的设计与建造。1969年7月工程结束，比计划提前了三个星期。这是一项了不起的成就，一个在敌人炮火下完成的奇迹。吉姆因这项努力而被授予海军表彰勋章。当然，吉姆将这枚勋章归功于查理连九十名海蜂的共同努力。

在越南，危险并不仅仅来自于敌袭，战区内存在各种危险。吉姆所受的伤就不是来自敌方。在海军陆战队引爆一颗美国克莱莫尔地雷的时候，爆炸抛出的金属霰粒误伤了他，击中了他的脸。

甘露大桥在海蜂建造完成之后很快移交给了南越政府，不过它的主要用途仍是为美军军事交通服务。而另一座新桥，东河大桥生命极其短暂。它在三年之后（1972年）北越发起的复活节攻势中被盟军炸毁，以阻遏北越对非军事区的占领。当时还是海军陆战队上尉的约翰·沃尔特·里普利（John Walter Ripley）单枪匹马放置并引爆了炸药，他也因此获得仅次于美国荣誉勋章的海军十字勋章。

1969年十二月，已经晋升为上尉的吉姆离开海蜂营再次回到了美国，作为一名土木工程师在圣地亚哥（San Diego)继续海军生涯，直到1971年夏离开。这时候，吉姆已经为海军服役整整五年，比当初的合同超期了一年。

岂曰无衣与子同袍

离开海军之后，吉姆入读哈佛商学院。而后吉姆投身于商业，为科技公司以及工业制造公司提供市场营销与业务发展方面的服务。拥有坚实工程师背景的吉姆处理技术细节可谓游刃有余。

吉姆的平民生活、家庭与工作在许多方面都很成功，但是他始终没有忘记曾经的海军生涯。

吉姆在长滩督理工程项目的时候，有一个检查员是一名二战老兵。米尔特曾经参与阿登斯突围战。彼时距离二战结束已经二十年，但是对于米尔来说，一切清晰得恍如昨日。当米尔特谈起那场战役的时候，吉姆几乎能看见那段经历带给他的创伤，与身体创伤相比，更多的是精神创伤。我们称为创伤后压力症候群（Post-traumatic stress disorder，简称PTSD，又称创伤后遗症）。

Jim 在十年前加入了莱镇退伍军人协会，积极参与并投身于帮助那些遭受身体创伤以及罹患创伤后遗症的老兵们，现为该协会董事会成员。

自2010年9月始，吉姆一直是贝德福德老兵医院图书馆的志愿者。贝德福德的老兵医院实际上是一个老兵长期护理机构暨疗养院，总共有三百张床位。长达八年半的光阴中，吉姆一直坚持不懈将书籍、有声读物、电影、音乐以及陪伴带给那里的老兵们。新冠疫情打断了疗养院的正常运行。当疗养院成为与世隔绝的孤岛，老兵们也就更为孤独。他们中有一部分有家人在附近居住，但大多数没有这样的幸运；2021年3月，没有人可以进入他们的房间探访他们，即使是家人也不能。

有声读物在医院的伤残老兵们中特别受欢迎。他们的一大娱乐活动就是从图书馆借来有声读物盒带，听完之后再还给图书馆录制新的书籍。值此危情，老兵们比以前更需要图书馆与有声读物，以渡过倍感孤独的时光。吉姆和医院的其他志愿者们在疫情间为老兵们准备了大量的有声读物以及其他资料。

然而，随着普通志愿者不再被允许进入病房，有声读物的循环遭到了阻碍。目前吉姆以及其他志愿者仍在努力解决延续至今的有声读物短缺问题。莱镇老兵协会的成员曾经为此捐赠了一笔相当可观的空白有声读物盒带，但老兵对有声读物盒带需求至今依然强劲。

扫描二维码｜捐赠有声读物盒带

Purchase a cartidge ($9.99) at Amazon and mail to:

VA Bedford Healthcare System Voluntary Services, Building 61

200 Springs Road

Bedford, MA 01730

在亚马逊直接购买有声读物盒带$9.99/盒，寄到Bedford VA, 帮助疗养院的老兵。

贝德福德（Bedford）VAMC的图书馆志愿者为莎拉·卡恩斯（Sarah Carnes）赠送了第一次世界大战的宣传海报，以鼓励大家向老兵捐赠书籍。

吉姆还与内蒂克（Natick)的莫尔斯研究所图书馆(Morse Institute Library)合作，将老兵们的故事引入老兵口述历史工程。从2018年初开始，在莎拉·卡恩斯（Sarah Carnes）的支持下，吉姆和节目主持人莫琳陆续拜访了医院的十名老兵，帮助他们记录那些从二战到越战的军事经历。在吉姆看来，能够与老兵对话、支持他们讲述自己的故事是一种荣幸。我们的社会需要铭记今日的和平奠基于老兵的人牺牲。吉姆认为在老兵医院做志愿者是他做过的最好的工作。

半个世纪之后的今天，人们开始慢慢了解越战。最近有很多跨年庆典缅怀这场50年前的战争。人们普遍认识越战是个错误，但是越战老兵们是在为国家服务，理应像韩战、二战老兵一样得到尊重与荣光。

回首人生，吉姆认为，他一生中做的做好的决定是与芭芭拉成婚养家，其次便是1961年在康奈尔决定加入海军ROTC。海军生涯已经弥足珍贵，而始于海军新兵终于退伍老兵志愿者更是一种生命的圆满。

Bedford VAMC主任Dr. Joan Clifford, Bedford VAMC Director (右二)向莱镇退伍军人协会颁发奖状，感谢他们长期的持续支持。

从左到右: Jim Ramsey, Ed LoTurco, Linda Dixon

永不褪色的信笺(NFPP)

2020年老兵节，莱镇的几个青少年突然想到：疫情期间，老兵们怎么样了？当时新冠病毒肆虐，在经历了春天仓惶居家封锁，夏天稍稍松缓后，伴随着气温的低落，深秋的美国又迎来了新一波病例狂涨。孩子们一直在家上学，电影院已经停止营业很久了，图书馆也始终大门紧闭，住在老人院里的爷爷奶奶们, 只能是透过窗户向来看望他们的儿孙们挥挥手。

那老兵们呢？特别是住在护理院里的老兵们？孩子们问。

于是，这些青少年联合发起了一项活动，手工制作爱心卡片，送给贝德福德的退伍军人。他们称之为 “永不褪色的信笺 (The Never Fading Poppy Project) -写给老兵们的挂念”. 红罂粟（Poppy）是著名的老兵的象征。一战以来，佩戴红罂粟已经成为对军人的纪念，它象征着军人为了保护我们的自由而做出的牺牲。

这项活动得到了莱镇退伍军人协会的热情回应。在莱镇退伍军人协会主席Linda Dixon ，James Ramsey 和 Sarah Carnes 的精心协调下，贝德福德退伍军人医院(Bedford Veterans Administration Hospital) 接受长期护理的108名退伍老兵分别在感恩圣诞节日，老兵节和MLK Day 都收到了孩子们手工创作设计并写上温暖问候语的精美贺卡。而老兵们也高兴地给年轻的笔友们写了回信。

★ ★ ★

左图：Jim Ramsey 收到孩子们的手工卡片

右图：老兵们给孩子们的回信和卡片

Jim 代表贝德福德退伍军人医院走入了这项活动，让社区意识到疫情中老兵生活的孤苦，让我们更加专注老兵们的需求，同时我们也有幸和像Jim这样的热心义工志愿者一起努力，共同给老兵们带来社区的温暖和联系。

“永不褪色的信笺”项目的青少年为Bedford VA Hispital的老兵们手工制作的节日卡片

Lexington MLK Day's Service 为老兵制作的部分爱心卡片

扫描二维码阅读关于“永不褪色的信笺 -写给老兵的挂年“项目，欢迎更多的青少年参与关爱退伍军人活动。

扫码｜关于“永不褪色的信笺”

写给老兵的挂念

The Never Fading Poppy Project

“永不褪色的信笺- 写给老兵的挂念” 项目创始人：Jodie Chen、Candice Lin、Eliane Li、Lucy Wei、Maggie Zhu

Jim Ramsey's Story- English

Foreword

When life requires a sense of ritual, we turn to festivals as our most significant form of commemoration. We dedicate one day every year as a special holiday to celebrate those people who are important to us, such as Mother's Day, Father's Day, and Veterans' Day. Veterans, as the name suggests, are those who dedicate their lives to their country and the quest for peace. A barracks is an iron-forged space where soldiers like water come and go. Different from the role of being a mother or father, no soldier is a lifetime soldier. It is the goal of most soldiers to eventually return to civilian life and thus become a veteran.

Where are the veterans now?

What have they been up to?

What do they enjoy?

What are their perks and personalities?

Jim Ramsey, featured in this month’s Discover Lexington, is one of the tens of millions of veterans. As a Cornell University freshman, he joined the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) and in 1966 received his commission as an Ensign in the Navy Civil Engineer Corps. In 1968, he went to Vietnam to join a Naval Construction (Seabee) Battalion building roads and bridges and other military facilities in support of Marine Corps operations. Over the past ten years Jim has committed himself to community service, as a member of the Lexington Veterans Association and as a volunteer with the library at the Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital (Bedford VA Hospital). During the pandemic, understanding that hospitalized veterans’ lives had become even more isolated, Jim wanted them to know that they had not been forgotten. He collaborated with various organizations to coordinate donations of handmade greeting cards and audiobooks for the veterans.

As a member of the community, what can we do for veterans? The answer may actually be very simple. Like Jim, who started small and devoted his time and energy to the best of his ability, the spirit of dedication manifests itself in persistence of doing such small deeds. Whether it is on a smoky battlefield, or fighting an invisible virus, no matter when and where, dedication manifests in persistence. Jim is the community embodiment of this spirit of dedication.

James Ramsey

Jim Ramsey was born in an ordinary middle-class family in Kansas City, Missouri. In 1961, he started his undergraduate study in the Department of Civil Engineering at Cornell University. After graduation, he served in the U.S. Navy for 5 years and was responsible for naval construction projects in Long Beach, California, Vietnam, and San Diego, California. During this period, he had two deployments to Vietnam. After completing his military service, Jim entered Harvard Business School. He worked in management consulting and held marketing and business development positions with several companies. Jim and his wife Barbara are long-standing residents of Lexington, MA, having lived here for nearly half a century. Their sons, David and John, grew up in Lexington and graduated from Lexington High School. Jim is currently a board member of the Lexington Veterans Association and an abiding volunteer with the library at the Bedford VA Hospital.

For Veterans hospitalized at the Bedford VA, books, movies, music and companionship create meaningful connections beyond their walls. It is a privilege to provide these gifts to the men and women who have given so much to their country.

James Ramsey's Story

Normal yet Special Childhood

James Ramsey was born November 27, 1943 in Kansas City, Missouri, and had a pretty ordinary childhood. His father was a civil engineer and served as the chief engineer for the water department of Kansas City, Missouri. His sister Gail was three years younger, and they grew up and attended public schools together. The family lived in several different homes in Kansas City until Jim’s father changed jobs and they moved to New Jersey, becoming easterners. In 1961, after graduating from high school, Jim enrolled at Cornell University, majoring in Civil Engineering.

Jim grew up in a very special era, spanning the entirety from the Korean War to the Cold War.He remembers going through drills from time to time in school, where students were instructed to shelter under their desks in the event of a nuclear attack. Fortunately, those drills felt like games for the kids, who were perhaps more removed from the feeling of threat than their parents.

Nevertheless this period of time left a long-lasting imprint in people's hearts, just as Du Fu describes in his poem: “Sneaking into the night with wind, the rain moistures everything in silence.”

Naval ROTC at Cornell

It was a regular day in September 1961 at Cornell University’s freshman orientation program. Someone was talking about the NROTC program when suddenly, Jim had a thought: “Join NROTC, join the Navy! It would be a good way to serve my country.” That year, at age 17 and during his first week in the Ivy League, Jim joined Naval ROTC, a training program for future naval officers.

During the full eight semesters of college years, Jim worked hard in the field of naval science, learning about naval operations, engineering, weapons and strategy. He also went through a series of summer cruises to gain actual military experience. All of this was on top of the regular highly-demanding course load of the Department of Civil Engineering. Jim graduated from Cornell University in his fifth year, in June 1966, with a Master's degree in Civil Engineering. He also received his commission as an Ensign in the Navy Civil Engineer Corps.

Five days after graduation, Jim married Barbara Spencer and brought his bride to Port Hueneme, California, where the Civil Engineer Corps Officers School (CECOS) was located. All Civil Engineer Corps officers went there for advanced training and to learn about the construction and management of Navy facilities. Jim attended CECOS for two months, after which his first assignment was as Assistant Resident Officer in Charge of Construction at the nearby Long Beach Naval Station.

In the next one and half years, Jim oversaw 20 construction projects and came to realize that this was the perfect job for a young officer just out of college. From 1966 into 1968 Vietnam was heating up, and in March 1968 Jim received orders to join US Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 62 (NMCB-62) in Vietnam. Jim showed Barbara the orders that night. Both husband and wife were aware that a new naval experience awaited.

Jim Ramsey - 1968

With NMCB-62 in Vietnam

In April 1968, Jim reported to the Naval Construction Battalion Center in Gulfport, Mississippi, home to NMCB-62. In May he flew to Danang, South Vietnam to join the battalion, which had deployed there several months earlier. Barbara stayed in Mississippi and was the eternal port behind Jim.

Throughout the Vietnam War Naval Construction Battalions (also known as Seabee battalions) provided construction support for Marine and Army forces engaged in combat - building the roads, bridges, and airfields needed to accomplish their mission. Seabees are a force of highly skilled construction craftsmen - steelworkers, carpenters, electricians, and plumbers - capable of performing under threat of enemy attack. In Danang, Jim was assigned as the battalion’s Administrative Officer, responsible for administrative and personnel matters.

While Jim and his fellow Seabees were not on the front lines (that was the Marines’ job), the close proximity to the battlefield exposed them to danger. The Seabees were under rocket and mortar attacks almost everywhere in Vietnam, typically at night. It didn’t take long for Jim to learn the proper procedures for protecting himself in the event of such an attack, which typically meant finding a bunker to get into and praying for the best. Despite the precautions, sometimes tragedy could not be avoided During one nighttime attack, a rocket made a direct hit on one of the battalion’s living quarters, killing three Seabees.

In October 1968, having successfully completed its projects, NMCB-62 returned to Gulfport. The six months in home port not only gave the Seabees a well-deserved rest, but it also afforded the opportunity for combat training and familiarization with projects planned for the next deployment.

Jim Ramsey - 1969

Time flies. April 1969 came in a wink, and Jim and the rest of the battalion deployed back to Vietnam. This time, the base was Dong Ha, in Quảng Trị Province, only ten miles south of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between North and South Vietnam. Jim’s assignment for this deployment was Charlie Company Commander.

Historically, Quảng Trị was a lush mountainous area with flourishing vegetation. The notorious Agent Orange did its best to destroy all of that. When Jim was there, the landscape had become almost barren.

NMCB-62 was deployed in Dong Ha for eight months. The battalion’s main projects during the period were building two bridges, both crossing the Cam Lo River: One was the Cam Lộ bridge close to the town of Cam Lộ, seven miles west of Dong Ha; the other the Dong Ha bridge at Dong Ha, a key link in Route 1, the major north-south road in Vietnam, going all the way up to Hanoi and all the way down to Saigon. The two bridges played a critical role in serving the Third Marine Division’s main combat base at Dong Ha and numerous Marine combat bases in the province.

The Cam Lộ bridge

The old bridge at Cam Lộ had been washed out in the previous season’s monsoon. Jim’s Charlie Company was tasked with building the new Cam Lo Bridge. Starting shortly after they arrived in Dong Ha, they built the 490-foot concrete and steel bridge from scratch and completed the project in early July 1969, three weeks ahead of schedule. It was a significant achievement, especially since it was accomplished under the threat of enemy attack. Jim was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal for the effort. Of course, he credited the success as the result of the joint effort of all 90 Seabees in Charlie Company.

In Vietnam danger didn’t arise only from enemy actions; there were hazards of all kinds in a war zone. Jim was wounded, but not by the enemy. He was accidentally struck in the face by a metal pellet from a US Claymore mine that had been detonated by the Marines.

The Cam Lo bridge was turned over to the South Vietnamese government not long after the Seabees finished it, although it was still used primarily for US Military traffic. The newly-built Dong Ha bridge, however, had a short life. It was demolished by allied forces during the North Vietnamese Easter Offensive three years later (1972), in order to slow the North’s assault over the DMZ. John Walter Ripley, the then Marine Corps Captain who single-handedly placed and detonated the explosives, was awarded the Navy Cross, second only to the US Medal of Honor, for his actions.

In December 1969 Jim, now a Lieutenant, left the Seabee battalion and returned to the United States. He continued to serve the Navy in San Diego as a civil engineer until finally leaving the Navy in June 1971. Jim had served in the Navy for five full years, one year more than his original commitment.

Jim the Volunteer for Veterans

Upon leaving the Navy, Jim enrolled at Harvard Business School. He spent the rest of his career in business, primarily in marketing and business development, providing services for technical companies or industrial manufacturing companies. With his engineering background, Jim was comfortable dealing with both business and technical issues.

Jim’s civilian life, family, and work have all been rewarding in many ways, but memories from his military service have not faded. For example, one of the inspectors on a big project of Jim’s in Long Beach was a WWII veteran. Milt fought in the Battle of the Bulge. Although more than 20 years had elapsed since the battle, it remained fresh for Milt. When Milt talked about the battle, it was clear to Jim that he had suffered some damage from the experience - not so much physical as mental, perhaps what we would today call PTSD.

Jim is heavily involved and committed to veterans activities. He joined the Lexington Veterans Association ten years ago, and now serves on the association’s board of directors

Since September 2012 Jim has worked as a volunteer in the library at the Bedford VA Hospital. The hospital is principally a long-term care facility (nursing home) for veterans, with about 300 beds. For 8 1/2 years, Jim has been delivering books, audiobooks, movies, music and companionship to the veterans there. Audiobooks are especially popular among disabled veterans who are patients at the hospital. One of their favorite forms of entertainment is borrowing audiobook cartridges from the Bedford VA Library, listening to them, and returning to the library to be reloaded with a new book.

The pandemic, however, disrupted the operation of the hospital. When the hospital turns into an isolated island, the veterans feel even more lonely. Some of them have families close by, but most are not so fortunate. Beginning in March 2020, no one has been able to visit them in their rooms, not even family members. Hence audiobooks and the library have played an even more important role during the crisis, helping the veterans deal with their increased isolation. Jim and other hospital library volunteers have prepared many audiobooks and other materials for the Veterans over the past year.

Another issue is that with volunteers blocked from the wards, audiobook recirculating has been hampered. Jim and the other volunteers are still working hard to combat the persistent audiobook shortage issue. To help, members of the Lexington Veterans Association donated a substantial number of blank audiobook cartridges. This remains an ongoing need.

Scan QR code｜Donate Audiobook

Purchase a cartidge ($9.99) at Amazon and mail to:

VA Bedford Healthcare System Voluntary Services, Building 61

200 Springs Road

Bedford, MA 01730

Consider donating one ($9.99) or more audiobook cartridges to the Bedford VA Hospital.

Library volunteers at the Bedford VAMC present Clinical Librarian Sarah Carnes with a World War I campaign poster encouraging book donations to soldiers.

Jim also works with the Morse Institute Library in Natick in support of the Veterans Oral History Project. Starting in early 2018 with the support of Sarah Carnes, then the librarian at the Bedford VA Hospital, Jim and the project coordinator Maureen Sullivan have interviewed ten veterans at the hospital, helping them document the stories of their military service - from WWII to Vietnam. Jim considers it a privilege to support veterans as they tell their stories. Society should never forget that the sacrifice of those veterans laid the foundation of today’s peace. Jim regards volunteering at the Bedford VA Hospital as the best job he has ever had.

Half a century after the Vietnam war, people are still coming to grips with this history. It is generally accepted that the war was a misguided effort with lots of problems and mistakes, but the veterans were serving their country and should be respected and honored in the same way as those who served in WWII and Korea.

Looking back on his life, Jim says that the best decision he ever made was to marry Barbara and raise a family. Second to that was his decision to join Naval ROTC at Cornell in 1961. With his ongoing involvement in veterans activities, Jim feels that his life has come full circle.

Dr. Joan Clifford, Bedford VAMC Director (second from right), presents a Certificate of Appreciation to the Lexington Veterans Association for their continuing support.

From left: Jim Ramsey, Ed LoTurco, Linda Dixon

The Never Fading Poppy Project

In 2020, Covid-19 was raging. After a hasty lockdown in the spring, there was a slight relaxation of the restrictions in summer, but as the temperature dropped, a new surge of cases swept across the United States. Children were schooled via remote learning at home, movie theaters were shut down, and the library closed. Elderly people living in nursing homes could only wave to their grandchildren through the window.

The celebration of Veterans Day in 2020 prompted a group of Lexington teenagers to wonder what happened to veterans - especially those in nursing homes - during the Coronavirus pandemic. As a result, these teenagers launched a program to make cards by hand to send to the veterans at the Bedford VA Hospital naming the initiative "The Never Fading Poppy Project.” The red poppy is an internationally-recognized symbol of sacrifice worn since World War I to honor those who served and died for our country in all wars. It reminds us of the sacrifices made by our veterans while protecting our freedoms.

This program received a warm response from the Lexington Veterans Association (LVA). Thanks to the president of LVA Linda Dixon, and the thoughtful coordination of Jim Ramsey and Sarah Carnes, 108 veterans in long-term care at the hospital received exquisite cards with warm greetings, designed and hand-crafted by the teens - many of whom also received replies back from the veterans.

★ ★ ★

Left：Jim received holiday cards for 108 veterans at Bedford VA Hospital

Right: The veterans write back to the teens

Jim coordinated many veteran programs. It was from him we learned that the pandemic had made the lives of veterans even more isolated, which allowed us to focus more on the practical needs of veterans. We are fortunate to realize that the hard work of enthusiastic volunteers like Jim has also allowed us to bring the warmth and connection of the community to the veterans.

Holiday Cards for the veterans at Bedford VA Hospital

The NFPP joins Lexington MLK Day's Service card making project

Scan the QR code to read about the "Never Fading Poppy Project". We welcome more youths to participate in the program that shows our apprecication and caring.

扫码｜关于“永不褪色的信笺”

写给老兵的挂念

The Never Fading Poppy Project

The founders of the Never Fading Poppy Project: Jodie Chen、Candice Lin、Eliane Li、Lucy Wei、Maggie Zhu

莱镇人文

Scroll down to read in English

往期精彩

｜【莱镇生活百科 I 第二期】育苗篇

｜砥砺前行，扬我风采

｜莱镇活动早知道 - Lexington Happenings

｜2021爱国者日莱镇华协游行方阵

莱镇人文