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The Old Timer's grandchildren bounded into the house and happily
announced that their parents, through a little scrimping, had
just approved their joining an organized tour group trip to England
and the continent for their summer vacation.
Had grandfather ever participated in an organized tour group?
Well, yes, come to think of it, he had. It certainly had been
organized, although the schedule in parts was less than precise,
and it was rather extended, but that's the way things were in
1943, 1944 and 1945. Did he think that it would be terribly instructive?
Yes, he did, particularly if they were observant. But he was
not sure that everything they learned would meet their parents'
approval, but nevertheless they would find it beneficial in days
to come, at least that had been his experience.
Of course, his tour had been under government auspices, and
you know what it is like when the government takes a hand in
things. Then the accommodations had been less than first rate
and the fare positively Spartan and the rigors of travel in those
days had a deleterious effect on the health of some of his group.
Why? Well, some of France's neighbors had been less than friendly.
In fact, they were like those visitors who come and stay and
never know when to go home and had, to his certain knowledge,
driven out some more welcome visitors, even allies.
Certainly they would find the museums, art galleries and churches
highly educational, but, in his case, time was limited for such
pleasures and some of the churches were not in the best of repair.
Hadn't grandfather learned a lot in his tour? Yes, he had.
Besides the common labor exercised in digging what was known
as a foxhole, and a certain physical agility in ducking, he had
learned to make a bed with hospital corners and keep his things
clean and neat, and balance food in what was known as a mess
kit without spilling it.
But had grandfather learned anything really important?
Grandfather thought he had. Now, they could chose or not to believe
in good things such as Santa Claus, Peter Pan, Superman, or even
Einstein, and bad things such as Count Dracula, but grandfather
had learned without doubt that Adolph Hitler was an evil man.
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