In 1966, two years after graduating high school, I was drafted in the Army. My dad drove me down to the induction station and had tears in his eyes and told me, "don't feel bad, 2 years isn't so long, I was in a German prison camp for 26 months."
That was the first time he ever mentioned about being in the war, I was told he was in the Army, but my mother also never said anything.
I believe he told me his company was caught in Africa and I think it was the Kasserine Pass.
Funny, because at this time I was stationed in Germany for 13 months and got to know some Germans who served in their army. I also got to hunt on the one German father's farm that I knew from our post, he was a civilan fireman ( his father was in the SS). There was no animosity with the older Germans that remembered the war, only the younger ones of my age who saw how reckless we Americans were and how we could not handle ourselves.
After serving 18 months I was shipped home, and as there was no room for us because of all the new inductees, we were out, and never had to make up the time.
My father was there to meet me and drove me home, only saying " I see your smoking now".
