A Tacoma soldier’s Memorial Day tribute illustrates what the American Dream is all about
Two years and one month.
That’s how long, Henderson Goh will tell you, that he’s been “defending the freedom of this nation.”
Then Goh will clarify: “I plan to serve at least 18 more years.”
Like so many, Goh arrived in Tacoma via the Army. He enlisted after college near Dallas, completed his training in Oklahoma and San Antonio, then made his way to Joint Base Lewis-McChord in September 2018.
Being in the military, Goh says, had long been a dream. His family has a long history of serving in the armed forces, and back when he was dating the woman who would later become his wife, his future father-in-law would tell him stories of his own career in the Army, he fondly recalls.
Goh, now 23, says he decided to follow in those footsteps in part because he loves the United States and “just wanted to defend the country.”
For the much of the last two weeks, Goh’s evenings have been spent at Tacoma Cemetery, not far from his home. With Memorial Day approaching, he decided to purchase small American flags and place them on the graves of the veterans buried there.
He’s done so all by himself, on his own accord, clearing the headstones by hand before standing to salute each soldier, one by one.
All told, Goh says, he’s placed more than 500 flags so far.
“I have a routine of taking a walk or taking a run during the evening, so I said, ‘Why not do something meaningful during this time?’” Goh says. “It is important to remember what those veterans did for us.”
Particularly in the shadow of one of the largest military bases in the country, patriotic sentiments like Goh’s aren’t unusual. The South Sound is full of men and women with similar stories, all of whom have admirably chosen to serve out of honor and duty.
There is one thing that makes Goh’s story particularly unique and inspiring, however — and also hopefully instructive when we think about what this country stands for and what makes it matter.
Goh has been a U.S. citizen for a little over a year.
Born in Singapore, Goh spent most of his life living in Southeast Asia before coming to the United States as an international student for college in 2013.
He was naturalized through his military service in February 2019, determined to take his crack at the American Dream.
The promise the United States offers is simple. “It’s life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” Goh says.
“I am honored to be a U.S. citizen because America is one of the greatest nations in the world and is protected by the greatest military,” Goh says. “Being an American citizen is something to be proud of.”
With the cemetery closed for large gatherings, due to COVID-19, Goh has undertaken his task largely alone, in silent anonymity. At one point an elderly visitor stopped to thank him, he says, but Goh prefers to keep the focus on the soldiers he’s there to honor.
“We are extremely privileged to live in a free and democratic country. This is what we should treasure and be proud of, as people from some countries might not have this privilege,” Goh says. “We should not take this for granted.
“Let’s take this time to honor those fallen soldiers for their ultimate sacrifice to our nation. We will overcome any obstacles that we are facing … together, as one nation.”
This story was originally published May 24, 2020 at 12:00 AM.
