A vet's story

My Dad grew up in Charlestown, a close in urban suburb of Boston that in those days and for many years was the roughest part of the city. He was the 3rd of 5 kids of immigrant Irish parents. Charlestown was once the world capitol of bank robberies and bars. There was a famous street with 38 consecutive bars. Sometime in the 60s or 70s it turned over from Irish slum to Puerto Rican slum and now it is full of penthouse apartments of MD's who work just 2-3 miles away at Mass General. My Dad finished 8 grades of school and then stopped going after a severely broken leg and long recuperation that he claimed was from playing football. In his old age and after too many drinks he told my sister the real story, that the leg was broken jumping a chain link fence while running away from the police after participating in a robbery. He appeared before a judge and was told to join the National Guard or go to jail. After 7 yrs. he had risen to the rank of Master Sergeant and selected for Officer Candidate School. Today my son, who is named after him, is the keeper of his engraved saber as the number one graduate of Mass. Military Academy, class of 1932. He was among the first group of National Guard called to active duty in Sep. 1940. He entered WWII as a Captain and came out as a full Colonel and Brigade Commander. He served 2 1/2 years in the south pacific. At war's end, he declined the offer to remain regular Army and returned to civilian life where he later became a Brigadier General in the National Guard. While I have done well in life I could never match the leap he made in one generation. Also, America has changed. Today I do not think any judge would make the offer that was extended to my Dad, and if it did happen it would probably be overturned by a higher authority.

Great sentiment Scotty and great story by Denis.

My Dad is USNA class of '43. He too came from a modest family of Irish descent from South side of Boston. Because of WWII he was rushed through the Academy in 3 yrs and went to war in '42. Was a gunnery officer on a destroyer shelling Omaha beach on D-Day. Switched to aviator after the war and flew seaplanes on antisubmarine warfare patrols for Soviet subs in N. Atlantic. Eyewitnessed early thermonuclear weapons dets in NM desert. Retired after 26 yrs active duty and worked as Navy civilian, swam with dolphins in a program to train them to look for undersea mines. Learned to ski at age 49 and got into it in a big way for 25+ yrs, season passes, second home, trips to Tahoe, etc. Into his late 70s to late 80s was primary caregiver for my mom during her last decade before her death from Alzheimer's. He's still a vital part of his extended family at age 92.

God bless all you vets out there!

I believe a lot of our soldiers today serve because they have been given the same choice your dad was offered, Denis, to enlist or go to jail. Few make as much of the choice as your father did.

Wow, that's pretty cool! My grandfather was at D-Day.

Vietnam Veterans Memorial Veterans Day 2011