Veteran's Day

Thank You to all Veterans past and present.

He is gone from our sight, but never from our hearts.

Albert Lee Maynard

 My grandfather recently passed away and I wrote an article about my Papaw Albert Maynard, a Veteran of WWII, which was published in the local newspaper.

Papaw with his guns

Jan. - Papaw's 86th and Mamaw's 81st birthday

licking the icing

Also the other day while going through a box labeled “school stuff” I came across a paper that I had written in the 10^th grade. The assignment was to interview a veteran and write an essay. I chose a very special man, I chose my Papaw Albert. On this day I would like to share it in rememberence of him.

Albert Lee Maynard Sr., a veteran of World War II, is also my grandfather. He was a corporal, which meant that he wore two stripes on his arm, in the army. He was shipped out in 1942 to face the unknown, but he left anyway to fight for his country and our freedom. During the war he traveled to many countries all across Europe. These included; England, Germany, Italy, France, and Belgium. While in Belgium he participated in the Belgian Bulge, this is a ceremony where they would break bread. While he was at the event a bomb was dropped and exploded knocking him twenty – thirty feet from what he called the “foxhole”. The foxhole was the hole left by the explosion.

                He made many friends while he was being shipped to and from the different countries. He grinned and said, “Two good things about being in those countries were all the places you see and the women.” He was very handsome, and every one called him a ladies man, because he had five different women at every port.  A French woman in particular must have made an impression, because he stayed with her while he was in France. Although he made some good memories traveling, he also had several bad that mostly he will not discus. He did however tell me of a time he endured severe pain. While in France his feet became frost bitten, because he was out for a long time in the wet and cold weather.  “They looked like two lumps of coal hangin from my ankles.” He said. His toenails also fell off, which was kind of gross. He spent two weeks in a Paris hospital.

                He told me about one of the most terrifying moments that anyone could ever witness. He would leave early in the morning and walk through the fields picking up the dead bodies and tossing them onto trucks. It is an image that will always be in his head and that he will never forget.

Now that he looks back he remembers a time that could have been a scary moment, caused by young foolishness. He along with his army buddies were all in a field posing for a picture, each with a bottle of liquor in one hand and gun in the other. That is one of the best memories he has, just hanging out with his friends. There were also bad memories to accompany the good. Early in his journey, he had just stepped away from a truck, and watched his friend drive off. The truck hadn’t made it very far down the road when the truck exploded. He then saw very clearly that he was at war, and anything was possible.

When I asked him about all the medals he received, he said, “I got a whole slew of `em”. He was awarded the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, and more.  He missed America, and his home in Leatherwood, WV, and couldn’t wait to return. On the ship ride home they were delayed because the propeller was lost in a storm. It took eighteen days for another ship to come and rescue them. They were taken to Bermuda until a ship from New York came to take them back to the states. He was gone for five years from 1942-1947, and was happy to return to the good ole US of A. He met my grandmother in the spring and married her in July. She has always told us the story of the first time she saw him. He was riding a bicycle down the road and she turned to her sister and said, “That is the man I am going to marry”, and she did. They have six children, five girls, and one boy (my dad). Their family has extended to ten grandkids, and three great-grandkids. He is a wonderful papaw whom I love dearly.

My papaw isn’t the type of person who volunteers a lot of information. I know discussing the war brings back bad memories, but he was kind enough to do this interview for his granddaughter. I know he is proud to be an American, and he is a very honorable man, whom I admire for his courage among many other reasons. America is thankful that he fought for freedom, and liberty, and I also am thankful and blessed to have him as my Papaw Albert.

*Surviving - His loving wife of 63 years, 6 children and their husbands & wife, 10 grandchildren, 7 great-grandchildren, and 3 great-great granddaughters.