Roger’s family kept a scrapbook containing news clippings about his accomplishments and letters of condolence from important people such as William Westmoreland, Ronald Reagan, and Lyndon Johnson. Roger was a childhood friend who became a Marine and was killed in Vietnam on April 13, 1968. Sadly, there is now only one family member left—a sister-in-law—and few who care about the scrapbook.
If I were to judge Roger’s life by the scrapbook, his greatest accomplishment was that he gave his life for his country, but that is not how I remember him. I remember him as Swamp Fox, leading his band of boys and girls on raids during recess at our elementary school. I remember him as the one who included everyone, even us little kids, and made us feel important.
Now, as I look at the signatures of the great men on the scrapbook letters, I am trying to discern whether they were written with a pen or a rubber stamp. These men had kind words, but they did not know Roger. They were not influenced by him as my friends and I were. Today, Roger Boomsma’s name remains on letters, certificates, and monuments, but it is his small acts of kindness that continue his legacy.
In Matthew 5:14-16, Jesus told us, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
Roger was a hero to many people