Page 9 - chuckclark_ccompany

CHAPTER ONE

Todd Simms had just gotten home after spending the day

working in his father’s hardware store. He could see the

look of concern on his mother’s face as she handed him an

official-looking envelope that had just arrived in the mail.

Todd knew what it was, and he wasn’t surprised. He was

expecting it.

It had been a year since the bombing of Pearl Harbor and

the declaration of war. Many men had lined up at the

enlistment stations, and the government was drafting men

by the thousands. Todd would wait until they called him.

Opening the letter, he saw it contained a “Greeting” from

Uncle Sam. The letter informed him that he had been

selected in the draft. He was to report to the induction

center in Rochester, New York, on December 15 for an

examination, and if accepted, he would be given time to get

his affairs in order before reporting for duty.

Todd had no doubt he would pass. He was twenty-five

years old and in good shape. He been active in sports in

school. In his last two years of high school he had joined

the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, so he had some idea

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