My dad was 4F. Deaf in one ear due to scarlet fever as a child. He's the tall one. This photo was taken on his high school graduation day in 1942.
The dark-haired fellow is Tony Bovenzi, my father's best buddy. He made the ultimate sacrifice on Omaha Beach.
It tore my dad to pieces to be left behind, when all of his friends went to fight. He was a big strapping guy and felt a lot of shame. But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't glad about that scarlet fever.
My dad was 4F. Deaf in one ear due to scarlet fever as a child. He's the tall one. This photo was taken on his high school graduation day in 1942.
The dark-haired fellow is Tony Bovenzi, my father's best buddy. He made the ultimate sacrifice on Omaha Beach.
It tore my dad to pieces to be left behind, when all of his friends went to fight. He was a big strapping guy and felt a lot of shame. But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't glad about that scarlet fever.
My dad was in artillery. I don't think he was proud of it.
edit. I asked him once when I was a kid if he had ever killed anyone His reply was a smirk and yes. he probably killed some of our own. suure he was not happy aboout it. soory thiss keyboarrd sucks.
Well, yes. He got a small check every month. He always told us he got it because he got shot in the knee. He had a scar. But it was really from marching for so long without any "support"— a man thing. His testicles suffered somehow. I don't really know what you call it, but you know what I mean?
My Dad was on the USS Altamaha, a repurposed merchant marine ship that as done up in a hurry as an Escort Carrier after Pearl Harbor. My Dad never talked about it either. but he kept some of the ships logs and one mentions them seeing torpedo trails heading towards the ship but they all missed.
My dad peeled potatoes in Germany, never saw any action. He loved KP, he got lots of free food.
Just curious, did your Dad have any health related problems due to his imprisonment?
Well, yes. He got a small check every month. He always told us he got it because he got shot in the knee. He had a scar. But it was really from marching for so long without any "support"— a man thing. His testicles suffered somehow. I don't really know what you call it, but you know what I mean?
I know, my dad rarely talked about it. After they bailed out of their plane, the Germans marched them. Once my dad made a list of every town that he had marched through. There were a lot of towns.
Just curious, did your Dad have any health related problems due to his imprisonment?
Being a prisoner has got to be near the worst, if not THE worst. It's impossible to imagine, frankly: there's just no frame of reference in our (civilian) experience.
I know, my dad rarely talked about it. After they bailed out of their plane, the Germans marched them. Once my dad made a list of every town that he had marched through. There were a lot of towns.
and for your da.
