A Legend in My Mind
My father was a two-time decorated veteran. He had a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart, having fought in both World War II and in the front lines of Vietnam. You will notice that skips a war. Dad did not fight in the Korean conflict. He had orders for Korea and was packed to go. The night before he was supposed to ship out, he got a call informing him that he was the only man in the Battallion (about a thousand people) who had all the schools required to teach ROTC at some college, so he was being held back to fill that slot. They needed two guys and they also held back some officer -- who likely had a college degree -- with less stellar military credentials. My dad was an NCO, not an officer, and a high school drop out. Dropping out of high school was common at that time. At age fifteen, he was big enough to earn a man's wage for a man's work, so that's what he did. Dad originally joined the Army as a teen to fight in World War II. My recollection is that he was seve...