Before I grew up and went to WAR

The great Depression was just beginning to wring down in the early l930"s. We did not own uniforms, in fact most of us did not own a glove, ball, or bat. Mike, the third from left of the top row did not even own shoes. He played and pitched in his bare feet. Something I did not know at first.

We do not look much like a ball club, but that is what we called ourselves. We were walking back home thru a field after playing a game when one of us produced a box camera and took this picture.

We may look like a mob instead of "Our Team", but what no one knew at this time that a lot depended on "our Teams" all over the U.S. You might say the future of our world depended on us.

Every member of the team went to war a few years after taking this picture. Louis "Duck soup" , bottom row left side did not go to war. He was refused due to a bone disease. He died at home while the rest of us was fighting.

So this is not just "A team". It was a well organized, well trained, seasoned group of young boys who did a great big job in A Team way.

Most of us returned unharmed, two of us did not. As of this Memorial Day, May 31st, l999, seven of the original fourteen are still with us.

I am not in the picture, someone had to take it. That"s me. But I was with them until the end. DAD

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