On a friend, Brent Law – always in our hearts

Many words have appeared in this space over the years about a friend whose time with us was much too short – Brent Robin Law. Nothing I’ve composed captures the essence of Brent as completely – and with such force – as an article that we’re pleased to reprint this week at The Indy.

To be honest, I’d never heard of the publication, Vietnam, where the article on Brent’s final mission during his tour "in country" is included in the February 2005 issue. Thankfully, several area residents – who also served our country during that turbulent time – read the article and passed the information along.

A telephone message from Gordon Shipley back in early December was the first hint I had about the Vietnam article. As Indy readers know, Gordon has been working hard for several years developing a list of all service personnel from Clinton County who have lost their lives in all of our nation’s wars. That effort had its start in an initial list he compiled of young men, like Brent, who were killed in Vietnam.

Gordon’s message was simple: he had come across an article about Brent that he thought I would be interested in reading, and wondered how he might forward it to me. As it turned out, obtaining the article from Gordon was not necessary.

A few days later, I received a letter in the mail from Brent’s mother, Lillian Law. Another compatriot of Brent’s had seen the Vietnam magazine article and sent a copy to Lillian. In a conversation I later had with Lillian after I had read the emotional article, she said she knew how much I would appreciate seeing it.

"I thought of you, and a couple other of Brent’s classmates from St. Peter – I knew you would want to read about Brent and what he did on that last mission," Lillian said, noting she had also sent the article to Phyllis (Kleuckling) VanLake and Charlene (Flak) Kennedy, who were in Brent’s grade at St. Peter Lutheran School and Class of ’68 alumni at Rodney B. Wilson High School.

As difficult – and tearful – as it was reading that story about Brent’s death, it provides a certain amount of joy knowing his actions helped save the lives of 26 other young men. Somewhere in this country today, there are families with children – and by this point in time, grandchildren – who would not have existed without the life-saving efforts of Brent and his crewmates.

That’s a comforting thought – most especially for Lillian, who lost her only child that day.

"It’s hard, but it’s also good to know that Brent helped so many other young men," she said.

It’s necessary to keep that thought in mind as we pause for a moment and remember the fine young man – who loved life so much. He enjoyed playing football, loved running track and had a great, giving personality. We wish he was here with us today.