Two Brothers, one Korean Vet, and his older brother WWII & Korean Vet. Did their duty, they rest now.
But as smartly pointed out, today is for the lives cut short fulfilling our Nation’s oath.
God bless them all!
The older brother saw “many dead all over” as he told a story. Arrived in France at 17 and briefly toke up barracks in the “Chesterfield” group of soldiers. Cigarette names were used for the mess tent identifications. France was in the mist of its’ coldest winter on record. The three newly connected comrades alternated the warmest spot, in the middle nightly, of a 3 soldier pile with the middle one kept warm by all their extra gear piled on top.
Dead were all around, as they learned the Germans were fighting a mere 5 miles away. The Germans were occupied defending the coastal shore of offensive British landing crafts which wasn’t going well for the Allies. The mess tents where the thousands of American Troops ate was lit up, at night, by a single candle so as not to give their location away.
Dead was all around them when the troops were loaded up on the 40-8s rail cars. 40 men or 8 mules train cars carried the troops inland where they went to work building temporary air fields. It was Freezing cold and the train didn’t stop, you did your body duties with the rail car door open, the biting frost wind and your body parts dangling out in the open.
The older brother was asking “Why did you join at 17?” And his answer was “ They wouldn’t take me at 16.”
Again a question “Did you join to get out of the house, seek adventure or just to go to war? And the response “We had an enemy that needed to be defeated.”
