Will the Real American Stand UP?
Will the Real America Stand Up
By Dana G Smith
Keywords: WWII, America, veterans, Iran, Iraq, Afganistan
I opened the small pouch. In it contained a scalpel, medical items, tourniquet, band aids, wrappings, pills, and assorted items. These were last used in World War II, in the south pacific. They belonged to my dad, who now in his mid eighties, remembers his role as a medic in WWII. He had gone to the board as his draft number was coming up. Having just graduated from High school, his next stop was according to Uncle Sam, in boot camp, the army to be specific. But as it turned out, he enlisted just before being drafted.
I remember him telling me why he became a medic, his answer was simple. They asked me what I wanted to do. I told them, “I just don’t want to kill anyoneâ€. “Then you can be a medic and save lives†the officer told him. With that, my dad, a fresh graduate from Avalon High School on Catalina Island went to war.
The chilling parts of the war were never replayed by Dad. It seemed he had enough of it in the War itself. When the war was over, he came to the Midwest, Wyoming to be exact. There he met a farm girl and married her. He was married to her for 52 years till she died. Today you can find him at the senior center visiting with others his age. His mind is clear; he has minor diabetes, and has a bum ankle which hurts to walk on. But in all this, he is doing very well.