A Real Patriot

A good friend of mine, Blaine, was a World War II veteran. He was one of the most patriotic men I knew, even if he had many reasons not to be.

As a young man, Blaine, like many others his age, found himself embroiled in the bitterness of war. After the invasion at Normandy, he was part of the army fighting across Europe toward Germany. The German army had been falling back, but as the Allied armies came closer to Berlin, the Germans dug in. The bombardment from both sides went on for days.

Blaine’s unit was right at the front, and when the shelling slowed, they received the command to move for...