Reply from Kenny Nerpel (65):

Gary,
http://www.fortyandeight.org/

Re: boxcars mentioned in Carroll Carlson story

The phrase “forty and eight” was actually used for the name of a
little known veteran’s organization founded following WWI. (see
above link) It was formed by American veterans returning from
France and still exits today.  I have been a member of the local
chapter (Devils Lake, ND) since the about 1985.  Over the years
we have made donations to Lake Region State College to benefit
the nursing program.

Kenny

Email address update from Bill Hosmer (48):

My email address is hozndaz7@ for the full year. No more changes for awhile, I hope.  Please use the address frequently. Bill Hosmer

From Vickie Metcalfe (70): 

Folks, Vickie has given me pemission to post this, with a request that I also post my reply to this message of hers. Gary

Yes, Mary and and Clarence went to Senior Citizens and Carroll shared

his story with the folks there. Clarence was another veteran of the
European campaign, he to, shared a depth with Carroll.  There is  is
that deep inexplicable bond among veterans.  My dad told me often he
felt more in common, the deep, deep bond and understood oother
veterans than his own brothers.  I don’t think it really mattered to
dad,  Pacific or European Theatres all veterans were “his brothers”.
Gary, Do you remember Clarence’s dad who lived with   Clarence and
Mary family? When I was in  5th grade I stayed over night with Karen,
her grandpa was living with them.  Another kind gentleman who raised
his  two,children through the 30′s (without his wife who had passed
away)….. Clarence is a chip of his dad’s block!
Vickie

Gary’s Reply

Vickie,

You are so right about veterans. I could sure feel that bond with my veteran

class mates and other veteran’s with our reunion in 2007.  The majority of
my class mates (guys) are veterans of the Viet Nam war.  I think the bond is
that we were all drafted or would have been drafted and we all shared a lot
of  the same experiences and war. The concept of basic training is to break
everyone down and bring them all back equally to the same level.  That in it
self is a strong bond.  Everyone has the same hair cut, clothes, etc.
Everyone marches to the same set of strict rules and then it was off to war.

Basic training for me and
I think for most was probably one of the most unpleasant periods of our
lives.  For eight weeks, there is absolutely no freedom what so ever.
Mentally and Physically, each was pushed to their limits.  In the times of
the daft, for those that flunked basic, they’d be recycled back through
another 8 weeks of training.  That was a very unpleasant feeling hanging
over our heads.  My thoughts in basic were, I didn’t volunteer for any of
this and there was absolutely no way to avoid any this other than for
disserting to Canada. Like everyone else, I knew I had to make the best of
the situation of which I did.  The strict training was necessary training
that enabled soldiers (us) to effectively function in a war zone.  Most of us had

Civilian jobs and productive civilian lives when we were told we would have to

leave to serve in the Military.  Most of us proudly served.  Not having a choice but

to serve greatly increased the bond of the US servicemen.  There is no denying the

fact that I was disappointed when I got my draft notice, but I am honored to have been a part

of those that served enabling all Americans to enjoy the freedoms that we enjoy today.

The old saying, that the military makes men out of boys, is so true. Immature boys, became

men really fast in the military.  Even with some of the relaxed training, The same is

true with today’s military folks.  The Military no longer allows undo harassment

in their training that a lot of us experienced. For those that smoked, one of the

harassments that I remember was, they’d say “light em up” then 10 seconds later

would say “put em out”

Kenny Nerpel and I stood side by side for 8 weeks of basic. With a right face I followed Kenny.

With a lift face he followed me. When they weren’t looking, Kenny liked to round step it

and to my knowledge never got caught.  Had he gotten caught, he would have

been doing a few extra push ups.

Yes, I do remember Henry Hagen, Clarence’s dad. He was a well respected man
of the community.

With your permission, I’d like to post this message of yours.  I think what
you have written would be of interest to most.

Take care,

Gary

From Dick Johnson (68): 

Gary and Friends,

I want to thank Vickie for sharing her book of Carroll’s Travels with us
all. I am sure he would be proud to know that this many folks now know
what he did. He was never one to brag, so many would never have known
that he was ever involved in anything other than his little farm in the
hills. He told me how privilege worked in the military even back then.
When Carroll was in England preparing for the invasion of Normandy, John
David Eisenhower, the son of Dwight Eisenhower-Supreme Commander of the
Allied forces, was going through the same daily routine as the rest of
the men. Two weeks before the invasion he was suddenly called back to
the U.S. to fill a teaching position at one of the military academies.
When John Eisenhower would narrate a documentary on the war, Carroll
would say, ” He wasn’t even there, he shouldn’t even be talking “!
Carroll said that his unit was first to make several of the ‘breakouts’
into German held territory, but the credit always went to General George
Patton, even though sometimes he was way behind the lines in ‘safe
zones’. Carroll had nothing but praise for the average G.I. who was
thrust into the mess, but many times he almost held contempt for the
higher ranking officers who were making the decisions and predicting how
many men they would lose in trying to advance. He used to say, jokingly,
“The Army doesn’t care if you get killed, but don’t lose your rifle,
heh, heh, heh”! One night he said, “I got to a point where I didn’t care
who died, as long as it wasn’t me–it’s bad when you get to that point”!
As we watched a Kamikaze ( Jap Suicide Pilots) documentary, one of the
now old Japanese pilots said how his plane blew up on the runway and all
the rest of his group of 15 went out and died trying to stop the U.S.
fleet at Okinawa. He said,” It’s sad when you are the only one to
survive out of 15″! Carroll said, “There is one dumb ______”! It was
sure interesting to listen to and watch Carroll’s reactions to the
films! Thanks Gary and Vickie!

Dick

(Part 13) CARROLL CARLSON’S TRAVELING YEARS, BY VICKIE METCALFE (70):