His best friend growing up, Mr. Cliff (I also knew him well as he also returned to our town) had his toes frozen off in the Hurtgen Forest. His right foot was a stump. My father always understood he himself got off lucky.
My best friend’s dad had two purple hearts and a bronze star from his time in Europe. We would sneak up to his attic to look at those awards, and photos of his Father looking bad-ass humping a machine gun or riding on a tank. We had to keep it super quiet, like we were thieves, because his father never wanted it mentioned (and probably had a bit of PTSD).
Growing up, I never quite grasped that such men were all around us!!
LOL, great memories. I do feel for Mr. Cliff, he suffered so much. I had the pleasure of befriending a local guy who was one of the original Band of Brothers, what magnificent man. They saved the world, all be it, for a short time. Now we have totalitarians youth and old lawfarers.