“I was just a farm boy and I was called up. I was sworn in on 12 Jan. 1942.”
And so the story began for 98 year old WW II veteran, Staff Sergeant Le Roy Good, who still lives on the farm North of Frankfort, Indiana
He began a story that would take him from Clinton County, Indiana to Texas, Scotland, England and North Africa before turning north and re-crossing the Mediterranean to Italy.
Good says “for the months we were stationed in England with the artillery we never fired a shot in anger. Those Germans were bombing the towns and villages but they did not touch the airfield—never could figure that out.” “My company fired the 155mm and was primarily tasked with the defense of airfields.”
It was a different experience for an Indiana Farm boy to go from the relative flat Indiana to the sands and airfields of North Africa to the beaches and mountains of Italy.
He was a part of the action in the battle of Monte Cassino, saw the bombing destruction of the Abbey, and was part of the taking of Genoa among other actions. At the conclusion of the war he had been awarded the Bronze Star and six battle stars among other decorations.
Sgt. Good said his sister was left taking care of the sheep while he was gone.
As I was leaving his farm, I stepped out on the front porch and heard the Baa, Baa of sheep. I saw a telephone repair truck down the road a bit, parked on the other side. Enclosed in Good’s pasture was a small flock of sheep, all bunched up against the fence and a ram, apparently upset by the territorial intrusion was pawing at the ground with his head up against the fence and voicing his concern.
We have come full circle. Indiana farm boy leaves for war and returns. 76 years later he is still raising sheep—quite a shift from walking in the footsteps of history and being a part of making history.
