Sue Kalgren
Being a bereaved mom and having a lot of sadness, I would like to share with you a little about myself and my family.
My name is Sue Kalgren. I am 66 years old. I live in Kingston, TN, and I attend Kingston United Methodist Church. My oldest brother (Everett W. Johnson, Jr.) was born July 16, 1947. He was a terrific musician in our high school band. He played trombone. He had such a God-given talent that he earned a music scholarship to MTSU. His music was his inspiration. He attended MTSU in 1966. There was so much turbulence in our country vs. Vietnam, and he was pressured to keep his grades up. The pressure was so intense that he couldn’t keep up.
Needless to say he was drafted, went to boot camp, and then, in December 1967, traveled to Vietnam. He was put on the front line and was murdered in January 1968.
The Army said he was trained and ready to fight but he was not a violent person. I am not sure if you call it defending our country or defending his life. Either way it was a sacrifice my dad could not get over.
My younger brother and I are very proud to say that our Brother was very brave and will never be forgotten.
He was killed before he could ever vote, buy beer, or get married; way too young.
When my daughter (Kari Sue Kalgren) died at age 35, I thought about my mother and how she handled losing a child. She managed a home and three other children. My mother was a rock, and I have to model my grief and behavior after her.
My mother belonged to a group called Gold Star Mothers. A similar group of bereaved moms, but for mothers of military children that lost their lives at war.
I have lots of memories that get me through the hard times and am so proud to have had a big brother for 20 years of my life, and very proud to have had a beautiful daughter in my life for 35 years. She gave me two grandchildren and a lot of good times. I have a lot to be thankful for.
