REMEMBERING

Looking out the window, it is still cold and snow covered.  Although not totally snowbound I'm staying indoors to avoid falling as I did a couple of years ago. Having turned to it takes too damn long to heal. 

Got an email showing at B-17 returning to England being shot to pieces from German flak with dead and wounded on board. This got me thinking of my second cousin, mom's cousin, who was killed over his fifth mission as a gunner over Vietnam.

From there my thoughts returned to the weather and the troops involved in the Battle of the Bulge. The cold conquered the overall misery of American troops and two of my uncles who were following General Patton to relieve Bastone. One lost the use of his leg during this period.

Another uncle jumped into north Africa then to Italy via Sicily and fought and walked to Germany. On the other side of the world another uncle was flying the Hump as an engineer as a cousin was following Stillwell out of Burma.

Back to the cold and misery my great uncle a WWI veteran was back at it in the Aleutian campaign.

Mom's brother spent over two years island hopping in the Pacific ending by being seriously wounded in Okinawa. Dad never left the US probably due to his age and physical problems but still served from 43 to 45 leaving Mom and home with my two brothers and myself living in a shack with no electricity, rationed kerosene, no government aid and 1 mile from the nearest store or food stuff. We did have an old pony and buggy.

All of this had a large influence on my decision to never be cold again.

©RonLynch

THINGS I SHOULD HAVE WRITTEN ABOUT

1957
Boot camp was easier than expected.  For me it was a change in that we slept in till 0530 and had nothing to do other than shower, shave, make our bunks and wait to be called to march to breakfast.  I remember seeing grits for the first time and had no idea why they were put on a tray rather than in a bowl.  

Another surprise was meeting people from the south.  About half our company was from Mississippi and Louisianna and had never seen snow.  They would all volunteer for snow shoveling.

Another first was seeing a black person other than at a distance such as riding thru a larger city.  His name was Robin Sparrow but never heard of after boot camp.

©RonLynch