Maxine: a twenty something working as a bank teller in Keokuk, Iowas.
(She is also my mother.)
Nana: Maxine's mother (my grandmother) who has raised four children through the
Great Depression and now has two sons overseas fighting in WWII
Wilbur: Maxine's fiance, who has just been deployed to someplace in Europe
Harold: Mother's brother who is already serving in the Army someplace in Europe.
(He is also my uncle.)
In the last chapter we left Maxine in New York City watching her fiance, Wilbur, march off to war. This chapter will not be much about Maxine, but more about her brother, Harold.
I don't have the specific dates, but know that Mother is back home in Keokuk. She and her sister, Marge still live at home, and both of their brothers, Frank and Harold. Frank was on a ship in the Pacific Ocean, and Harold was someplace in Europe.
Harold was the youngest of the siblings and was known for his kindness to others. He was the helper and in his quiet way took care of others. While his older siblings, Frank and Maxine loved to be in the spot light, Harold preferred to keep a low profile. It seemed so cruel to have him thrown into a war where he might have to kill someone. But like most young men at that time, he felt it was his duty to fight for his country.
He was not allowed to tell his family where he was unit was deployed, but he found a creative way to hint at the location. In one of his letters home he wrote. "I was really surprised when I thought I saw our neighbor, George, wearing a commander's uniform. Turns out it was just a mistake." It was from that letter, that my grandparents knew that Harold must have seen General Eisenhower because his doppelganger was living right down the street from them.
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| Uncle Harold Carlson |
One night when Harold's unit was settling in, he saw his name as sentry on the duty roster. He was confused because he thought he had another duty that night, but figured plans had changed. He mentioned it to his Sergeant but was told to just do the duty. When he went to the sentry post, another soldier arrived a bit later. Harold did not recognize him as he had just been transferred to their unit. His name was Harold Carlson, too. My Uncle Harold told the other Harold that he would finish the sentry duty (because that is what the Sergeant said) and they could straighten out the name thing the next day.
That night the unit was attacked and Uncle Harold was severely wounded. If their names had not been mixed up , he would not have been at that post. Not much is known about what happened in the next few days. ( My sister, Linda, has tried to find records, but the archives for part of WWII were destroyed in a fire and those records were lost.) All we know is that my grandparents got word that Harold was missing in action.
It was close to that time that my grandmother wrote this poem.
My Christmas Wish--1944
What do I want for Christmas?
You ask me not in vain,
Today I'll give you my answer
And tomorrow 'twill be the same.
Of all the gifts this world possess
We see where'er we roam,
There's one I pray each day to have-
"I want my boys back home."
Sara Ann Carlson
I don't know how long Harold was missing in action. I am not even sure if she wrote this before or after Harold was missing in action. That is one reason I am writing these stories, because some of the parts become fuzzy and I no longer have Maxine her to tell me.
I won't end on a sad note! Harold was not missing in action. He was in a hospital, alive, but in critical condition. He would be coming home soon and he would live.
Now, why did I put this as part of Maxine's Story? Yes, Harold was her brother, but there is another twist that will be explained in a few more chapters.
