I know that Veteran’s Day is a day that we honor our veterans. But, I would like to pay a
special tribute to the wives and children left at home and especially my mother, Lucille Conrad. Dad was
25 years old when he went into the Army leaving my mother, who was 23 to care for me (age 4) and my
18-month-old brother, Jerry. Mother was also 5 months pregnant with my sister Cheryl. We all lived in a
21-foot house trailer which had been moved to my grandparents’ farm on Potter Road.Shortly after dad
left, Jerry came down with polio and was admitted to St. V’s Children’s Hospital in Toledo. He would end
up spending over a year in St. V’s. In the meantime, my sister Cheryl was born in October and to add to
her problems, mother had an automobile accident in the fall of 1944. So Dad’s away in the Army, Jerry’s
in the hospital with polio, I have a new sister and the car is wrecked.In the meantime, it’s early
December 1944, Dad’s getting read to ship out and would like to see Mom before he leaves. Mother makes
arrangements for us kids to stay with grandma and she boards a train for Baltimore, Md., (Fort Meade).
She arrives just hours after dad shipped out and because of security, she had no idea where he was or
where he was going. So back to Weston, Ohio, she comes with all the problems associated with three young
kids, a broken car and spending the winter in a 21-foot house trailer. Dad would be discharged from the
Army in October 1945.Veteran’s Day is a time to honor our veterans, but the wives and mothers left
behind also deserve a special badge of honor.Dick ConradBowling Green