The
monthly bus trip to Missoula, Montana was not as interesting as the train
trip to Stringtown, Oklahoma.
Even
though it was somewhat boring,
it
was worth it to be able to see Dad.
When
we went to Fort Missoula, I would wear my U.S. army uniform.
Many
small boys wore such uniforms during this period.
Many
uniforms, like mine, were similar to those worn by a relative who was in
the U.S. Armed Forces.
My uniform
was adorned with a genuine pair of Major insignias--gold oak leaves on
the collar-- and an officer’s emblem on my cap.
I
even wore a shoulder organization patch and properly placed “U.S.” insignias
on the lapels.
While home on furlough,
my cousin, Herman Hahner a colonel in the U.S. Army, gave me the insignias
and he showed me where to place them on my uniform. Herman was a unit commander
in an anti-tank division in Europe.
When
I wore my uniform, complete with insignias, rank, and patch, every soldier
that I met—there were many of them in Missoula---gave me a salute.
This
was a big deal for a six-year-old kid!!