This is the tale of an ordinary kid drawn into extraordinary experiences by the needs of his country in an all-out war.

It began at the urging of my daughter, Ellen Doyle, by setting down a few personal experiences for the grandkids. It has grown somewhat but is still limited to a narrow timeframe involving a rather small number of people. Ellen provided more than inspiration, like converting my longhand copy to a computer record.

With memory, the primary source and one thought triggering another, a rambling account is inevitable. So a rambling account is what you get and remember its all as I remember it. I hope you will find this part of my life interesting. I enjoyed living it, and I hope you enjoy reading it.