My Dad was part of the "Greatest Generation".. and he was the one of the best

[Trailrider1951]

18. Yes, my Dad was too, a Democrat his whole life

Grew up in poverty during the Great Depression on a farm in Virginia. His father died the summer before Dad turned 16, so the older boys in the family had to get jobs to help support Grandma and the younger siblings. When Dad turned 16, Grandma signed the papers for him to join the Army. This was December, 1940, a year before Pearl Harbor. He was stationed at Ft. Knox, KY and served with the 1st Armored Division. He sent most of his pay back to Grandma.

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Dad and the 1st Armored Division were part of the Operation Torch landings in North Africa at Oran, Algeria the night of Nov 8-9, 1942. This was the first action of USA Army in the "European Theater" of WWII. They fought in part under General George Patton, and against General Rommel's troops. He was in North Africa until the January, 1944 invasion of Italy at Anzio, where he was wounded (shot in the arm). When D Day happened in June of 1944, Dad was in a tank chasing Germans out the North side of Rome, and continued fighting in Italy until the end of the war.

After the war, he met Mom, married, and worked at North American Aviation in Ohio, where I was born. He was a good and decent man. He was my Hero. He would have been 94 next week. Happy Birthday, Daddy. I miss you every day.