My Grandpa served in WW 1 and Uncles served in WW 2 . So did my father in law. My dads uncle was shot in front of his brothers and sisters when they just happened to meet by chance in the country side. My grandma and family were always moving one step ahead of the war, that day fate dealt a cruel blow as the bad guys caught up to them and not to jeopardise the family, dads uncle and fellow solder ran off across a field to get away from them before being seen as they were in uniform. The whole family seen them gunned down. If the bad guys had seen them with the family, I probably wouldn't be here today as they would have all been shot. One other time my grandma and family were caught up to by the army. My dad says they were all gathered together and thought they were done for. Then my little grandma starts yelling at the lead guy, if your going to shoot us, kill us all, including the babies as I don't want to leave them behind without parents. We all go together one way or the other. Well the story is the head guy was a new dad and seeing my grandma with baby in her arms pulled on his heart and he told her she had 1 hour to get as far away as possible before the rest of the army caught up otherwise he would have no choice, he even told her which way to go so that they had a chance. Back then dad says grandma was in her 20's and it was her, her 6 kids, grand parents and some sisters and their kids. All the men were in the war. Today she is 98 and when I look at this old woman, I cant imagine her standing up to guys with guns but you do what you have to and it is another point in her life where if things were different, I wouldn't be here. It is one of my favorite stories of her life. Because of the men that served and the others that had to survive, I remember.
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