Kenneth Grott, of Sedalia, discovered how war can force people to do desperate things. He was drafted into the service on Jan. 7, 1943. After training he arrived in England around May 24, 1944. He was a member of the 561st Quartermaster Railhead Company. He worked in supply and they set up in southern Wales.
“We were issuing bulk food, cans and cases to a lot of those divisions that were getting ready to go overseas,” he said.
kAm%96 ;@3 @7 vC@EE’D 4@>A2?J H2D E@ 7@==@H v6?] v6@C86 !2EE@? H:E9 82D@=:?6 2?5 7:6=5 C2E:@?D E9C@F89@FE uC2?46] %96J >@G65 2 76H >:=6D 6G6CJ 52J]k^Am
kAm~?6 9:89=:89E 7@C vC@EE H2D 8@:?8 E9C@F89 {2G2=[ uC2?46]k^Am
kAm“%92E’D E96 @?=J E@H? H6 H6?E E9C@F89 E96 52J :E H2D =:36C2E65] xE H2D 3F>A6C\E@\3F>A6C EC277:4] (6 ;FDE 92AA6?65 E@ 36 :? E96 >:55=6 @7 :E[” vC@EE D2:5] “%96 A6@A=6 H6C6 =:?65 FA @? E96 D:56H2=<D D9@F=56C\E@\D9@F=56C H2G:?8 7=28D 2?5 E96J 2== 925 3@EE=6D] (6 8@E @FC 42?E66? 4FAD @FE 2?5 AFE E96> @G6C E96 D:56 2?5 E96J’5 AFE D@>6E9:?8 :? :E]”k^Am
kAm%96J D6E FA E96:C 7:CDE @A6C2E:@? :? E96 96586C@HD A2DE {2G2=] %96J E@@< 23@FE E9C66 E@ 7@FC 7:6=5D E92E H6C6 4=@D6 E@86E96C 2?5 F?=@2565 E96 ECF4<D] ~?6 7:6=5 925 E96 82D@=:?6 2?5 E96 @E96CD 925 C2E:@?D 2C@F?5 E96 6586D 3J E96 96586C@HD D@ E96J H@F=5 36 42>@F7=2865]k^Am
kAm~?6 7:6=5 925 E9@FD2?5D @7 82==@?D @7 82D :? 7:G6\82==@? 42?D] x7 v6?] !2EE@? 5:5?’E 9:E 2?J @AA@D:E:@?[ 96 H@F=5 <66A @? 8@:?8]k^Am
kAm“(6 925 E@ <66A 8@:?8 E@@[” D2:5 vC@EE]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mq~|q $rp#tk^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm~?46 vC@EE H6?E E@ #6:>D[ uC2?46[ 5FC:?8 E96 ?:89E 3J C:5:?8 :? 2 c_ U2>Aj g 3@I42C] xE H2D C2:?:?8 2?5 E96 >6? 4@F=5 =@@< FA 2?5 D66 E96 D<J E9C@F89 2== E96 3F==6E 9@=6D :? E96 42C]k^Am
kAm%96J D6E FA 2 A6C>2?6?E D96=E6C 24C@DD E96 EC24< 7C@> 2 56A@E] xE H2D 2 3:8 C2:=C@25 J2C5 H:E9 23@FE 2 5@K6? EC24<D 36EH66? E96>] %96J H6C6 2E #6:>D H96? E96 q2EE=6 @7 E96 qF=86 DE2CE65]k^Am
kAm%96 v6C>2? p:C u@C46 8@E 24E:G6 282:? 2?5 5C@AA65 2?E:\A6CD@??6= 3@>3D @? E96 56A@E 2E #6:>D] %96 3@>3D H6C6 =:<6 >@CE2C D96==D] %96J 5C@AA65 E96> @FE 2 42CE@?7F= 2E 2 E:>6] %96 @?=J 52>286 H6C6 3C@<6? D965 H:?5@HD] vC@EE D2:5 :E D@F?565 =:<6 92:= 9:EE:?8 E96 D:56 @7 E96 3F:=5:?8] p3@FE `d >:?FE6D =2E6C[ @?6 @7 9:D >6? 42>6 :? 42CCJ:?8 @?6 @7 E96 D96==D D9@H:?8 H92E E96 v6C>2?D H6C6 5C@AA:?8 @? E96>] vC@EE E@=5 9:> E@ E2<6 :E 2H2J :>>65:2E6=J 2?5 D6E E@ :E 5@H? 86?E=J]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mwt{!x}v %wt !#x$~}t#$k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAmpD E96 H2C DE2CE65 E@ H:?5 5@H?[ vC@EE 2?5 EH@ @E96C D6C862?ED G@=F?E66C65 E@ A2CE:4:A2E6 :? 2 56E2:=] %96J H6C6 D6?E E@ 2 42>A :? v6C>2?J E@ C6=62D6 5:DA=2465 A6@A=6 2?5 E@ 3C:?8 E96> :?E@ =23@C 4@>A2?:6D]k^Am
kAm%96J H6?E E9C@F89 p2496?[ v6C>2?J[ 2?5 D=6AE :? E96 @?=J 9@FD6 DE:== DE2?5:?8] %96? E96J H6?E E@ E96 >2:? 82E6 @7 E96 42>A]k^Am
kAm“|6? 2?5 H@>6? 42>6 @FE @7 E92E 42>A 42CCJ:?8 6G6CJE9:?8 E96J @H?65[” vC@EE D2:5] “x C6>6>36C @?6 @7 E96> 925 2 D6H:?8 >249:?6 @? E96:C 324<] p?@E96C @?6 925 2 =:EE=6 >@E@C4J4=6] (92E6G6C E96J 4@F=5 86E E96:C 92?5D @?[ E92E’D H92E E96J 925]”k^Am
kAmvC@EE 96=A65 =@25 !@=:D9 AC:D@?6CD @? E96 EC2:?[ ad A6@A=6 A6C 3@I42C] %96J 7:==65 36EH66? ad E@ d_ 42CD 2?5 DE2CE65 324< E@H2C5 uC2?46] pE @?6 DE@A[ E96C6 H6C6 EC66D 3=@@>:?8 H:E9 H9:E6 7=@H6CD] %96 AC:D@?6CD 8C23365 E96 3C2?496D 2?5 564@C2E65 E96 EC2:? H:E9 E96>]k^Am
kAm“%92E EC:A FA E@ v6C>2?J H2D 2 ?:46 562= 3642FD6 x 8@E E@ D66 E9:?8D ?@?6 @7 E96 C6DE @7 E96 A6@A=6 :? E96 @FE7:E 8@E E@ D66[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm(96? E96J 2CC:G65 2E #6:>D[ E96 H@>6? H6?E E@ @?6 42>A 2?5 E96 >6? H6?E E@ 2?@E96C @?6]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m(~#$% !p#%k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm%96 H@CDE A2CE @7 9:D D6CG:46 H2D D66:?8 H92E E96 H2C 5@6D ?@E @?=J E@ 2 4@F?ECJ[ 3FE E@ :ED A6@A=6] (96? 9:D 8C@FA H6?E E9C@F89 D>2== E@H?D[ E96J 925 A24<D @7 {:76D2G6CD[ 8F> 2?5 4:82C6EE6D :? E96:C 72E:8F6 A@4<6ED] %96J H@F=5 E9C@H E96D6 :E6>D :?E@ E96 DEC66ED[ 2?5 25F=ED 2?5 49:=5C6? H@F=5 5:G6 7@C E96>]k^Am
kAm“%96 7:CDE 76H E:>6D H6 E9@F89E E92E H2D 7F??J] (6 E9@F89E :E H2D DA@CE F?E:= H6 C62=:K65 E92E E96D6 A6@A=6 H6C6 ;FDE ECJ:?8 E@ 86E D@>6E9:?8] %96J C62==J 568C2565 E96>D6=G6D] %96J =:G65 =:<6 C2ED[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmx? r92F?J[ uC2?46[ E96 A6@A=6 H6C6 D@ 56D@=2E6[ E96J 5@G6 :?E@ E96 82C3286 42?D @7 E96 D6CG:46>6? =@@<:?8 7@C D4C2AD]k^Am
kAm“%96J’5 DE2?5 E96C6 H:E9 E:? 42?D 2?5 H@F=5 H2?E J@F E@ AFE H92E6G6C 4@7766 J@F 925 =67E :? E96>] *@F 42? :>28:?6 8FJD DE2?5:?8 E96C6 2?5 c_ A6@A=6 4@>6 3J 5F>A:?8 H92E E96J 925 =67E :? E96:C 42?[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmw6 H2D :? tFC@A6 F?E:= '\t s2J] p7E6C E96 H2C[ E96 >:=:E2CJ @776C65 9:> 2 492?46 E@ 6:E96C G:D:E $H:EK6C=2?5 @C E96 uC6?49 #:G:6C2 7@C EH@ H66<D] w6 49@D6 $H:EK6C=2?5] w6 H2D 5:D492C865 @? y2?] `c[ `hce[ 2E r2>A vC2?E :? x==:?@:D]k^Am
kAmw6 :D AC@F5 E@ D2J 96 92D D6CG65 9:D 4@F?ECJ]k^Am
kAm“x H@F=5?’E 92G6 >:DD65 :E] x H@F=5?’E H2?E 5@ :E 282:?[ 3FE x H@F=5?’E E2<6 2?JE9:?8 7@C E96 6IA6C:6?46 @7 :E[” 96 D2:5] “qJ 36:?8 :? 2? F?2EE24965 @FE7:E[ :E H2D 2 =@E 36EE6C 7@C FD >@DE @7 E96 E:>6 3642FD6 H6 5:5?’E 92G6 2D >F49 DA:E 2?5 A@=:D9] (6 5:5?’E 92G6 2D >F49 72==:?8 @FE 7@C 2== <:?5D @7 C6G:6HD 2?5 E9:?8D]”k^Am
kAmw6 H2D 5:D492C865 @? y2?] `c[ `hce[ 2E r2>A vC2?E[ x==]k^Am
