During the Battle of the Ardennes (Hurtgen Forest and Bulge) my father flew a Piper L-4 'Grasshopper' over enemy territory to spot and direct artillery fire on the enemy and he sometimes joked about having to fly high enough to avoid being shot down by German soldiers and low enough to avoid be being shot down by German pilots -- he came home with a 1' vertical scar in the middle of his forehead and a hole in the brim of his flight cap due to a German soldier's bullet.

My father was an 'Official Witness' to the execution of Private Eddie Slovak.

While teaching 'Artillery Tactics' to ROTC students at Gloucester MA High School from 1951-1953 my father took the GHS ROTC rifle team to West Point and beat the West Point rifle team. My father also led the GHS ROTC class during Ike's first Inaugural Parade.

My father is buried where he always wanted to be...America's most Hallowed place...Arlington National Cemetery...Section 60, Grave 6962...coincidently(?) adjacent to Eisenhower Road and Bradley Road, and directly opposite MacArthur Road...all of whom he served under in combat.

My mother passed this past December 7th (coincidently my father's Birthday) and is once again and forevermore where she always wanted to be...with her 'Jimmy of the 172nd' (New Hampshire National Guard)

God Bless America
God Bless Our Troops
God Bless Our Veterans