After WWII was over the solders came home. My mother was careful, and warned us kids not to bother them. She seemed afraid of them. But there was a former solder living in our neighborhood named Claude. He would play with us and seemed safe enough though my mother disapproved.
Claude was a former Ranger in the service. He did not talk about his war experiences, but was quick to tell us the large dimple in his cheek was due to an enemy bullet flying into one side and out the other. He remarked: “wish my mouth had been open, wouldn’t have lost my teeth.”
We mostly played “hide and seek” or “tag” with Claude. We could never catch him. When we got close once, I saw him grasp the rain downspout on his house, climb it, run across the roof, and jump to the ground on the other side leaving us far behind.
Later I learned Claude was a deeply spiritual person. I think that made a big difference in how he managed to endure the horrors of war. He later moved away and we heard he became a successful businessman.
As I grew older and joined the work-a-day world, I would meet other veterans who didn’t fare as well as Claude. Veterans that carried mental as well as physical scars with them for the rest of their lives. That will be a future post on the War.
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