St. John’s Episcopal Church in College Park, GA—the church where I was raised, where my father’s funeral services were held, and where Brenda and I were married—recently sent me a booklet describing all the stained glass windows in the church, including one donated by our family and paid for with memorial funds after my father’s still CIA classified death in Vietnam in 1965. The booklet explains how stained glass windows served as a “Bible in Color,” telling the sacred stories of our faith in an age when few people could read. At St. John’s, these windows create a vivid visual narrative of the Christian story.
The window dedicated to my father, Major Jack J. Wells, depicts Christ Healing the Sick—a testament to his humanitarian spirit rather than his role as a warrior, as reflected in his many letters home from Vietnam, including this excerpt:
“I know more about my provinces than any military man who has been there 8 or 9 months. I move about and feel safer, even the VC know I am for the people, I hope. I am trying to get medicine. Betty, I went in a village. 2 of the children was suffering from Yaws or something like that. Large sores deep in the arms and legs. Got even a bandage to cover it, to keep the flies from spreading it. I hope to get some safe antibiotics. I could clear the village up in 4 weeks with just one visit a week.” – Jack J. Wells, 1505 hrs 29 August 65 Saigon, Vietnam
Pictures include my family in 1978 at my wedding with Brenda, and my author event at the church last summer.
James B. Wells 