My father ended WWII at Presidio San Francisco helping treat combat shock cases. My godfathers were two of the men he treated. One was a long lean Tennessee man who walked Burma with Merril, the other a French/Spanish basque who was a 4th Marine raider. I listened to thier stories and those of my uncles Army, Army Air Force, Navy and Marine Corp. Dad was a combat medic at Cisterna 3rd Btn, 6th Inf. Dad always said the greatest contribution to the war effort was Uncle Ralph. Uncle Ralph never served in the military. As the best farmer in the family, they signed over thier shares of the family farm when they enlisted. for 4 years Uncle Ralph raised more pork, corn, and mules per acre than any man in the state of Missouri. Burnt by the sun, wind, and the constant outdoors he always looked twice his age and the died young of the farm toil. When he died the farm was prosperous and clear of debt. He taught me that a hero is the man who goes in every day and gets the job done, just because it is his job. I could never have done what he did as well. Like Dad and the uncles said, "he kept 10 men in the field"
blindhari
