Veterans Day Special

November 11

In 1947 I was an apprentice on the waterfront at a boy scout camp and my tent mate was Malcolm "Peppy" Daniels, a disabled vet, who was the camp chef that summer. I noticed when we were changing to go swmming a long scar with six indentations in the thigh of one leg. I asked about his wound and he told me a story correspondent Ernie Pyle would have loved.

Peppy's unit was in the Black Forest when he was hit by machine gun fire. An American medic put on a tourniquet and Peppy passed out. He regained consciousness to see a German soldier loosening his tourniquet and then he fainted again. When he regained consciousness he realized he was on a cart and he heard voices speaking German. He thought he was a prisoner.
Then a voice asked, "How we doing here?" He opened his eyes to find he was in an American
forward hospital unit and the patients next to him were captured German soldiers.

I saw a sign today that read, "We live in the land of the free because of the brave." Thanks "Peppy" and all who have answered the call to serve.