James Calvin Smith, country boy from NC. Enlisted at Fort Bragg NC. He was part of the 609th Tank Division. Trained for two years and then to Europe. They were fighting their way into Germany and their tank was blown up by a mine. He was sent to a field hospital and when he and one of his buddies heard they were going to be attached to another unit, they were not happy, so they walked away from the hospital after a week or so and started out to find their unit they trained with. The 609th had moved on and James and his buddy was able to connect with their unit. Amazing to me how they were able to do this. But they did. They were never sited for being AWOL. He later fought at the Battle Of the Bulge at Bastogne. He is my hero and my Uncle Buck, my dads brother. After the war he came home to live until he was 85. He bore the scars of the war for the rest of his life. More emotional than outward. Thanks to my hero Uncle Buck.

Mary Smith Flowers
Saint Pausl, NC