I used to wonder how Granddad survived the war as a one-eyed foot-soldier.
Now I know- he wasn't a foot-soldier.
He used to spend hours telling me about the Catering Corps, how people made fun of it but that food was the life and blood of an army, how often he had received gifts, commendations and money from officers for creating great food out of nothing. And he was a great cook- for the rest of my life, I would turn down a fillet mignon at the Ritz for anything at all made by Granddad. I only realized after he died how boring food could be- somehow, it never seemed so when he was making dinner.
Somehow, the fact that he was a sniper apparently slipped his mind. Mum just told me.
As Rick said, it's not really something you would be proud of. You wouldn't go rabbitting it around to your granddaughter- yes I used to go ahead of the army and pick off their spies and sharpshooters, that's what I did... It was somehow easier, thinking of him as an indistinct, ordinary part of a killing crowd- like, since he was doing what everyone else was doing, it wasn't all that bad. Much easier to think like that.
And suddenly some facts slide into place- why he was permitted to join the Brits (volunteered) if he only had 1 eye, how he got so many medals and commendations and prizes and stuff after the war, and a decent war pension, better than Da's, and Da was a Captain (on the supply lines in India, admittedly)... why he never talked about life as a soldier... why his favourite book was "All Quiet On The Western Front," a book I've read many times since his death (I think I gave my copy to Kirk, but I should get another one anyway...)
But while a bit disturbing, I don't think this new revelation will change the fact that I'll always idolize him. I miss him so much. It's been nearly 8 years, but I miss him so much.
Readin'
Listenin' to
Thinkin' about
Most recently I was 
