This photo is one of a series of small aged prints that were in an old shoebox I inherited from my grandfather. He was in the 97th Infantry in WWII and I believe someone in his group was a photographer who made copies of the set and distributed them. There are 100 numbered photos and luckily a deteriorating typed list of names, dates, and locations. Eventually, I would like to scan them all and share the images online for those interested in the history of that war and this specific unit. What must it have been like to be one of these soldiers? Months or years of life and death situations in foreign countries, far from home.

Both of my grandfathers and my father were in the Army. None of them spoke much about their wars. I can only imagine what they went through. Now that they are all gone I wish I had pressed them more for their histories and experiences.

My paternal grandfather was a medic in WWII and told me of helping German soldiers and having them offer him gifts in return. He did not accept any. As a kid, I thought that was crazy, especially since I was such a collector and loved old stuff. He was part of a proud generation who would not accept or borrow anything from anyone. My maternal grandfather never spoke about WWII at all.

One of the few stories my Dad shared about Vietnam involved him waking up late and saving a lot of people as a result. It was his turn to drive the transport truck that took everyone to where they worked. He slept in that morning. As they were coming over the hill and could see their destination, it was hit with missiles or some kind of bombs and exploded right in front of them. If they had been on time they would have been dead. Unfortunately, his exposure to chemicals while in-country could have contributed to him developing Lou Gehrig’s disease later in life. The war might have ended up killing him after all, just 47 years after the fact.

I’m very grateful for the sacrifices of all veterans, those still alive and those no longer with us. Thank you.