David Heilman and His Grandfather, Charles Ison Guthrie My daddy joined the Army during WWII, but soon after completing his basic training, he was honorably discharged. I think it was due to his lack of nighttime vision and though he didn’t like to talk about it, I once heard him admit to a friend that being unable to fight alongside his fellow countrymen brought feelings of guilt and shame.
After his discharge, he was determined to help in any way he could so instead of going back to a job he knew, as a coal miner in Kentucky, he became a welder in the shipyards of Mobile, Alabama. He learned to repair damaged battleships or helped build new ones. He could no longer wear a military uniform, but his skills were needed for those thousands who did.
Thank you, Daddy, for serving your country.
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