Ralph Robert Wensinger

West Point, 1959

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by Rosalyn Wensinger Sands on April 22, 2008:

WHEN I THINK OF MY BROTHER, RALPH WENSINGER A day doesn't go by when I don't think of my big brother, my older brother, Ralph. I try hard to visualize him as he would be today had he lived. I am sure he would have silver hair by now and still be trim and athletic as ever. Even though I am many years older than he was when he was killed, my thoughts of him are frozen in time. I still see him as a young 32-year old man in the prime of his life standing there in his flight suit. He had black hair then, always with a big smile on his face, always laughing and teasing me, always with the attitude that there was no problem that couldn't be resolved. To this day, I still feel his presence. When I was first aware of his presence, I was traveling with my family on the way to his funeral. My sister, Marilyn, her husband, Ken, their three young boys, Karl, Steven and Mark, my Mother and myself were all traveling by car from Ohio to West Point where Ralph was to be buried. I remember traveling along corn fields somewhere between Ohio and Pennsylvania. It was a crisp Autumn day with all the colors of the season under a bright blue sky. I happened to look out my window, and as I gazed up to the sky, I noticed two contrails making a perfect cross. Now I am not an overly religious person, but there they were, two bright white contrails in the perfect proportions of a cross. As we all got out of the car looking up in silent amazement, our dear Mother said, "That is Ralph letting us know that he is alright." From that moment on, I knew he would always be with us. To this day, I still scan the sky looking for contrails. I often see contrails going every which way, and every now and then I can spot a big jet high up in the atmosphere making a fresh contrail. That is when I feel Ralph's presence. I feel that he is piloting that jet. I also know that Ralph would be taking Mom, Papa, Marilyn, Ken and both sets of Grandparents along for the ride in First Class too. I loved him so. The poem "I AM WITH YOU STILL" reflects my feelings that Ralph's presence is constantly with us.

admin