1

　　WhenIthinkofWorldWar2MemorabiliaIthinkofmydadwhoservedinthecorpsofarmyengineersduringworldwartwo.HewasinvolvedinthealliedinvasionofNorthAfricaandSalerno,Italy.InhighschoolIdidareportinmyhistoryclassonhimandhistimeinthearmy.IreceivedanAformyreport.Myfriendfortherestoftheyearwouldteasemesayingmockingly"Salerno"whenhewouldseeme.Maybehedidthisbecausehisdaddidnothavesuchtalestotell.ButIwasalwaysinterestedinwhatmydaddidduringthewar.Notsomuchproudbutinterested.

　　Mydadusedtosaybecauseheknewsomething,hehadatrade,hewasskilledinconstructionthathewasnotputinthefrontlines.HealwaysencouragedmetogetaneducationsothatifIwascalledintowarIwouldnotbeinthefrontlines.Hisunitbuiltrunwaysandlivingquartersforairunitsasthealliedforcesadvancedtheywouldneedlandingstripsandbuildings.

　　MydadlearnedItalianandendedupmarryinganItaliangirl.Hebroughtherbackandtheyhadafamilyofthreechildren.Hedivorcedherclaimingshewasunfaithful.HowwouldIknow.Ionlygottoknowmydadandhishistoryafterhisfirstmarriageandfirstfamily.Andsomydadwouldtellmetalesofhowheandhisbuddywereinthedeathwardofthemilitaryhospital.Heandhisbuddydecidedtogooutthatnightandhaveonelastnightofdrunkenrevelry.

　　Hetestifiesthatthenextdayheandhisbuddywerepronouncedfittobedischargedandreturntotheirunits.Hetoldofhowhisunitcameacrossatownwithawarehouseofwineinkegsthesizeofhousesandthattheymadestrawsoutofbambooorsomesuchthingandbymorninghadloweredthewineinthegiantkegbyafoot.

　　HetoldmethatwhileinNorthAfricathathisunitwasroustedoutofbedattwointhemorningandhadtofleebecausethedesertfoxRommelandhisGermantankdivisionswerebearingdownonthem.Thedeadlydesertcoldairwasthecauseofanotheroneofmydad'sbrushwithdeathashecaughtalmostliterallyhisdeathofcold.

　　HetoldofhowagroupofItalianalliedsympathizershadtakenrefugeinaliberatedtown.Mydad'sunithadagroupofGermanprisonerstheyleftwiththesympathizerstowatchoveruntilafollowingalliedunitcouldcomeandtakechargeoftheprisoners.Mydad'sunitgavetheItaliansfoodtogivetheprisonersuntilthenextunitarrived.MydadfoundoutlaterthatthesympathizersshottheGermansandgavethefoodtothetownspeople.

　　OnthetroopshipbackmydadhadabagofGermanlugershehadboughtfromanothersoldier.Mydadheardarumorthattherewasinspectiongoingonandanyonecaughtwithwarsouvenirswouldfacediscipline.SomydadonenightthrewthebagofGermanweaponsoverboardintotheocean.

　　MydaddidnotbringhomeanyWorldWar2Memorabilia.ButhisstorieshavestayedwithmeeversinceImethimduringhissecondmarriage.

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　　TheideaofaWorldWarwassomethingthatcouldn'tbeimaginedpriortothe20thcentury.Thenwehadtwoinamatterof35years.Thenumberofpeoplekilledinthewarswasstaggering.ThefactthatpeoplecontinuedtodieforfortyorfiftyyearsaftertheendofWorldWarIIwasallthemoreshockinguntilthecausewasdiscovered.

　　Asbestoshaslongbeenconsideredamiraclematerialofsort.Itishighlyresistanttoheat,whichmakesitagreatinsulatorandfirewallwhereverheatandelectricityarefound.Thiswasaknownfactforhundredsofyears,butneverreallyledtoitsuseinamajorway.ThenW