The Crying Solider

I was having lunch with some friends earlier today. One of my old buddies asked me why I didn't share the story of the crying solider with our JMC family. Well, I don't think I have ever heard the story, so he told it to me while we ate. Although it is a ghostly story, from time to time he wiped a tear from his eye. I could see the emotion and the passion of the story first hand. My friend has been a Jellico resident for his entire life, now in his late 70's. He told the story with meaning and truth and it touched my heart so deeply. I couldn't wait to return home, open my laptop and start typing away. This is the story of the crying solider, as told to me by a dear friend.

May 1, 1950 – President Harry Truman extends military assistance in the battle against the communists in Indochina. This was the beginning of United States involvement in Vietnam. A young boy named Bruce, only 17 years old was in California visiting friends. He received a frantic message from his mother in Jellico. "Bruce come home, you've been called to go to Vietnam." He was one of the very first to get called. It took weeks for Bruce to make his way back to Jellico. By the time that he arrived, he was due to leave out the very next day.

Bruce had a loving mother but his father was known for being an alcoholic and would tend to get mean when he was drinking. That night Bruce and his father got into a heated argument. "You've been out there in California living it up while your mother sit here crying every day and night!" One thing led to another and his father began to beat him with a slapjack. For those who don't know, a slapjack is a club/baton like stick that is comprised of a flat piece of lead with a leather covering. The rest of the night Bruce laid crying. He cried because he was scared. He cried for his mother and he cried about the fight that he had with his father. He was leaving in the morning and like all of the young men leaving, he didn't know if he'd ever make it back home again.

"I think his father was scared, his only boy was leaving to war. He was just a young boy, he turned 18 years old over there in that war."'

In 1953 Bruce was stationed near Dien Bien Phu in the northwest of Vietnam. The French was heavily involved and was losing the war. During a airstrike he was critically injured and spent many weeks in a make-shift, military hospital recovering before finally being sent back home. When he arrived home he found that his father has passed away and his mother had grown ill. His mother decided to keep the news of his fathers death away from Bruce while he was in Vietnam. Now he was left with the memories of the very last time that he had seen his father. With no way to make things right or to express his love to his father again, Bruce fell into a cycle of depression and heavy drinking.

"That boy was drinking himself to death, after he came home, he just felt like he had no reason to be here anymore."

It wasn't uncommon for people to pass by and see Bruce drinking and crying. Most people assumed that this was just his way of dealing with his wartime memories. Nobody was aware that Bruce was in fact suffering from a terribly broken heart. After his mother passed away in 1959, mere months later Bruce also passed away.

Bruce's grave can be found in one of the cemetery's in Jellico Tennessee. I was able to find it today for myself. It's a small, lonely grave that sits off to itself. For obvious reasons I won't disclose the exact location.

Since his death, Bruce's sad spirit still lingers. He has been seen and heard in the field where his families house was located. It has been gone for many, many years and only an over grown field now exists. His spirit has also been seen in the cemetery late at night.

According to my friend who was telling this story, people have witnessed the spirit of a solider wondering the lot where he once lived here in Jellico. He wears a military uniform (like the one he was buried in) and can be heard crying in the dark. As a young man, my friend recalls attending Bruce's funeral. He said that there was no friends or family to mourn his passing and he was laid to rest wearing the same uniform that he wore on the day that he returned home from the war.

"I didn't know him well, he was just an acquaintance but I wanted to go pay my respects. There wasn't a single person there at his funeral. A man who served our country, yet nobody was there to mourn for him. I guess he didn't have any family left but it was the saddest thing. Even when I looked down at him, he had a sad expression. Bruce died of a broken heart."

A school bus driver claimed that while driving past the lot early one morning. He witnessed a man wearing a old military uniform standing along the road. He had his head down and appeared very sad. When he glanced through his mirror, the man was gone. I spoke with the bus driver earlier today and he confirmed the story and also said that he has spotted the ghost more than once in the early morning hours.

It's usually dark that time of morning and I could see him just like anyone else standing there. He first caught my eye because the uniform he had on was out dated, nothing like they wear these days. He always had his head down, once he had his hands over his face. I could hear him crying but when I looked back through the mirror he wasn't there. That's happened a few times.

It's also been claimed that Bruce's spirit can be seen standing next to his grave crying. The grave keeper told me that they have seen him many times and are not at all afraid. They also told me that when placing a small flag on his grave, the flag will blow and wave even when there is no wind.

"Every year I put flags on the graves. I put one down for Bruce and it just sways and waves even when there's no wind. The other flags will be sitting there perfectly still and there's Bruce's just flying."

Knowing the history and remembering the family well, they also told me that they often visit the grave. In effort to help Bruce, they try talking to him and explaining that his father is at peace and that there is no reason to feel sad anymore. They went on to tell me that for the past several years a small dog has visited the grave on a daily basis.

"It comes and lays on his grave for hours and then it leaves." "It doesn't even look at the other graves, just Bruce's and you can mark your watch, it'll be back tomorrow."

A local nurse told me that she has also seen the crying solider in the late hours while driving home from work. She has since found a new route and avoids passing the property. She said that each time that she has seen the ghost, she was overcome with a feeling of sadness and had actually fell into tears.

"I only seen it twice but when I did, I'd get so sad and upset. I wasn't scared, I just felt so sad and by the time id get home id be crying like a baby and I didn't know why. I just wont drive past there anymore."

Have you ever heard about the crying solider here in Jellico?

It seems that our little town has it's fair share of haunting stories. Stay tuned because we're always asking around and trying to find more bumps in the night to share with you.