I know I'm late on this post, but I still wanted to do it. My grandpa was in the US Army before and during WWII. He kept a diary during WWII. Twenty years ago, the Monroe County Historical Edition Newspaper printed selections they picked from his diary. I copied, cut, pasted, scanned, edited and am now posting the article. This isn't one solid piece he wrote. They took bits out of several entries and arranged them.
While reading this, I mostly noticed how often he was spared by bullets. It's amazing to me. Also if he wouldn't have been, I would not be here today...
Grandpa never recovered from the damage to his feet. One of the things I always remember about him was the medication he had to put on his feet every night before bed. Mostly when I think of him, I smile about how sweet he was (something my dad swears he wasn't while my dad was growing up haha). I also remember what a good, solid man and role model he was for his family. I had no doubt how much he loved me. He could always calm me down and talk some reason into me when I was upset (My parents divorced when I was really young, and my grandparents were sort of the go between). I also recall my grandma still being jealous if she thought another woman was interested in him even in their twilight years. :) When I picture Grandpa in my mind, I'm sitting in his lap while he cycles through all the different bird calls he knows while I listen.
He went on to become a dairy farmer and leader in the Methodist church. He also was father to 2 boys and 4 girls. Grandma and Grandpa Hanks were married 60+ years when he died.
