Post by floydragsdale on Apr 9, 2012 11:57:05 GMT -5
Sixty-seven years ago on this date, this Soldier was discharged from the Army. No longer would my days be regimented by a military life. No more chow lines; no more foxholes to occupy in sub-freezing temperatures and no more salutes to an officer
There wouldn’t be any more free train rides through France, Germany and Switzerland. It didn’t matter. I was released from the Army. Now my life would be my own.
It was to be a rude introduction, in small increments at a time, to be a civilian once more.
High school days were gone. Now the real world wasn’t as attractive as it seemed during those days in the Army when a Soldier knew what to expect just about every minute of the day.
As an eighteen year old, just out of high-school, there was no job to go back to after almost three years of serving our country in the armed services.
Similar to going into combat for the first time, attempting to enter the work force, as a civilian, was the real thing and at times, very frustrating.
Legions, of veterans, without a doubt, experienced these same feeling and thoughts.
Nevertheless, almost to a man, every veteran rolled up his sleeve and met the challenge of returning to civilian life again.
Some veterans found jobs; some went to college; the years rolled by all to swiftly for most of us.
Retirement years came and they too passed by like an express train fading into the night. A vast majority of WWII Veterans have left the stage of life and now stand shoulder to shoulder with Veterans of the Rev. War, Gettysburg and the Main.
Some old Soldiers are still among the living to tell their War stories for those who want to listen.
To this WWII Veteran, those stories seem just as vivid as as they did so long ago.
There is a saying that says, "Old Soldiers never die, they just fade away."
One fact I do know is this, "The stories and memories from the war, are as vivide as ever, they don't fade away."
Floyd,
424th Regiment, 106th Division
There wouldn’t be any more free train rides through France, Germany and Switzerland. It didn’t matter. I was released from the Army. Now my life would be my own.
It was to be a rude introduction, in small increments at a time, to be a civilian once more.
High school days were gone. Now the real world wasn’t as attractive as it seemed during those days in the Army when a Soldier knew what to expect just about every minute of the day.
As an eighteen year old, just out of high-school, there was no job to go back to after almost three years of serving our country in the armed services.
Similar to going into combat for the first time, attempting to enter the work force, as a civilian, was the real thing and at times, very frustrating.
Legions, of veterans, without a doubt, experienced these same feeling and thoughts.
Nevertheless, almost to a man, every veteran rolled up his sleeve and met the challenge of returning to civilian life again.
Some veterans found jobs; some went to college; the years rolled by all to swiftly for most of us.
Retirement years came and they too passed by like an express train fading into the night. A vast majority of WWII Veterans have left the stage of life and now stand shoulder to shoulder with Veterans of the Rev. War, Gettysburg and the Main.
Some old Soldiers are still among the living to tell their War stories for those who want to listen.
To this WWII Veteran, those stories seem just as vivid as as they did so long ago.
There is a saying that says, "Old Soldiers never die, they just fade away."
One fact I do know is this, "The stories and memories from the war, are as vivide as ever, they don't fade away."
Floyd,
424th Regiment, 106th Division
