The following “letter” is part of the continuing series from the unpublished novel by James Garrett, “Benicia Letters Once More”. He does not plan to publish the book but instead is choosing to share the letters with the readers of the Benicia Herald. The letters continue the storyline of Garrett’s first novel “Benicia and Letters of Love”. Each “letter” tells of love in one of its many forms from a separate point of view. Benicia is represented prominently in the letters because of Garrett’s deep fondness for the city of Benicia. He hopes readers see themselves or others they know in the letters because the concept of “Love” is universal.

Dear Mr. Garrett,
John was my first love. I hold him in my heart and always will though another love entered my life and I married him.
One day John and I walked on what we, and a lot of other people, call “The Burma Road”. John said that winding road on the Contra Costa side of the Carquinez Straits was referred to by that name based on a twisting road in Asia in World War II. Before that time I had never been on “The Burma Road”.
John and I lived in Pleasant Hill and we often went for rides. It was one of those rides which led us to stop along “The Burma Road”. He parked his car in a turnout and we sat there for awhile before we walked.
It seemed there was something he wanted to get off his mind. Finally he said he had joined the Army. His father served in the Army and John felt it was his duty to also serve. I thought that might have been what he had been thinking about for the previous few weeks and wanted to tell me then.
We walked back to the car and sat in it looking over at Benicia. John said it looked like a nice quiet place to live. He said it would be a good place to be with a wife and children. I agreed but didn’t say anything more about it. I thought he might say more and if I said more he might think I was being pushy. He changed the subject and after a few more minutes sitting there we left and he took me home.
John came back from Basic Training with a more determined outlook on life than I had seen in him before. He talked more and told me of his hopes and dreams.
In what seemed moments he had gone through advanced training and been shipped to Vietnam.
Tom, my husband, and our children have lived in Benicia for years. The front of our home faces the Straits. As time passed I kept thinking of being on “The Burma Road” with John and looking at Benicia and I wondered. John is listed as Missing in Action in Vietnam, but I know he is dead. It has been too long. Whenever I read of remains of any of our servicemen being discovered there, my hopes for closure concerning John’s fate appears in my mind. I know God has John near him. John was a good boy and then a good young man.
John would have made a great husband and father. I thought he would be my husband and the father of our children. Maybe when he spoke of marriage I should have said more. Maybe we would have gotten married before he joined the Army or before he went to Vietnam. The God in whom I believe has His reasons for everything.
I’ll always love and miss John, but I have no regrets how my life has been with Tom and our children.
Pleasant Hill Native

James Garrett is a lifelong resident of Benicia and a former teacher at Benicia High School. He is the author of the following novels: “Benicia and Letters of Love,” “The Mansion Stories,” “Chief Salt,” and “One Great Season, 9-0!” He also compiled a three-volume work titled “The Golden Era: Benicia High School Football, The 1948 through 1960 Seasons, “A” History with Comments.”
He can be contacted at jgstoriesnpoetry@aol.com.

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