A Soldier's Story

This morning I read a touching memoir from Dancing Girl's father, written by her son.  She tells me her father never wanted to talk about his experiences in World War II.  Family members had mentioned that he lied about his age in order to join the army after the Pearl Harbor attack.  She knew he was a member of the "Fighting 69th" only because her parents had attended some of the reunions a few years ago.  He finally talked to his oldest grandson a few months ago when they both visited my friend's home in Lago Vista.  

He talked of riding on a train in the cold German winter, the train stopping, and his realization that the engine was no longer attached to the "sitting duck" rail cars.  He referred to himself as a cold, eighteen year old kid, and I have to wonder if that was a conscious oversight.  Born in 1926, he would not have been eighteen until the war was almost over. He described  these events as some of the first experiences of his military life. 

Today, at sixteen, a youth would not be allowed to join active duty military...and few would want to take that action!