When I was 14, I fell in love with my sisters boyfriend……He was like a big brother to me. He attended my volleyball games and let me go shopping with him for my sister’s Christmas present. He was the oldest of a large catholic family – I’m the youngest of eight – somehow we had something in common.
Bob was not a handsome guy, he had a birth defect that affected his eyelids, which had to be sewn together when he was little. He was small in stature but had the biggest heart of anyone I knew. He was crazy in love with my sister.
Bob gave my sister a ring before he left for Vietnam. He had just graduated from Xavier as an officer in ROTC and was entering the infantry – proud, excited and ready to conquer the world. He wrapped the ring in a huge box, probably about 15 x 15 x 15. The box contained many smaller nested boxes and when she got to the last box………and it too was empty she uttered Bob’s name in an exasperated voice. She went back through all the boxes only to discover that there was no gift IN any of the boxes. He had stapled the ring, sans box, to the inside cover of the largest box. I remember that he got such a kick out of tricking her – and she laughed too.
We last saw Bob on my brothers wedding day in June 1970. He came from Ft. Benning, one last time for 2 hours to see his sweetheart. In all my innocence I asked him, “what if you don’t come back” His reply was, “I have to come back, I’m gonna marry your sister. He died on August 8th – less than 2 months from when he left. Thirty nine years later, he’s still on my mind and in my heart regularly.
You can read about Bob at this website:
http://www.virtualwall.org/dr/RiceRT01a.htm
This morning I went to mass to honor the memory, sacrifice and commitment of all those who have served in every country. We had several WWII vets in the congregation, a military writer, a translator, a pharmacist, and a number of others. We had vets from the Korean war and Vietnam. I couldn’t help thinking about my brothers Pierre and Charles who served, Marco my nephew, my father and of course Bob.
I spent an afternoon many years ago with my now deceased Mom at the gravesite of my Dad on Memorial Day. It was so important to her to bring a flag to put at his gravesite. Today, my brother does the same in her place. The war took him away from her for a long time. It also took his good health.
We are fortunate there’s no doubt. Still, war is not the answer.
Here in Athens we have quite a large homeless population. The vets who live under bridges get no recognition on Veterans day. We serve them from time to time at one of the shelters, but they are largely forgotten for the commitment that led them to a life of poverty, mental illness and social rejection.
What we don't see 
Suzanne,
Thank you for recognizing Bob Rice on this special day to honor veterans.
I often think of Bob and wonder what life would have been like if we had gotten married. Yes, he was a very special person in my life and I often think of him as watching over me as life goes on. I was happy to contribute to the Rice family recently,by giving them Bob’s class ring from Xavier that I had kept for the last 40 years in my jewelry box. It is a special souvenir of Bob and he did wear it when he was a student at Xavier. He gave it to me before going for training in the Army. I sometimes see “Ricky” Rice at Meijers, where he works. We always end up talking. He looks a lot like Bob did.
Before Bob left for Viet Nam; he had asked Don Leonard to “look out for me”
if anything happened to him. I do continue to communicate with our good friend, Don. He was telling me stories about dad when they worked together. Don has always been an unofficial member of the Bourgeois family.
Beautiful people such as Bob was; always live on in our minds.He was a real example of how life should be lived and he offered unconditional love.
Thanks Suzanne
Love, Aline