Thomas Glover March, 25th 2013

Under Dog

The calendar turned to the 5th of June, 1917. It was the big day, the day that would change my life until the day I die, the registration into the American Air Force. I had just turned 21 at the start of the New Year; I was finally able to serve and fight for my country just like my one and only older brother Rob had served in the Army starting when the war first broke out 3 years ago. Rob unfortunately served a short sentence as he lasted no more than a month on the battlefield before the war took his life. My brother had the biggest impact on me; he was always there for me when my father wasn’t. My father hated me with a passion, from the way I looked, to the way I walked for whatever reason. No matter what I would do or how hard I would try I would never please him. He wished I could be just like Rob, as Rob appeared just like my father did. Towering well over 6 feet tall and built solid like a brick outhouse. Me on the other hand, I would only measure up to 5’5, on a good day, and as I am rather “stocky” but my father just calls me “fat and a poor excuse of a man.”

When I told him that I was joining the Air force I thought it would be the first and only time he would be proud of his youngest and now only son, but nope, I was wrong. “How could you be dishonoring Rob like that, you should be taking after his footsteps and joining the Army, and then maybe, you’ll able to become half the man he was. You’re a disgrace to this family. Why couldn’t it have been you that was taken by the war?” And that was the last time I ever spoke to the bastard, the slightest amount of respect I had left for the man was now gone. Months went by without speaking to my father, my mother Janet was starting to get worried for us and one night at the dinner table, quiet as usual mother stood up and said “Willy, you and your dad can’t keep doing this!” As tension rose I glanced over at dad as he spat on his plate in disgust and raised his voice “I will never respect this boy! It should have been him, not Rob.” I stood up in my chair and just hauled off on him, hitting him directly in the nose. Father picked me up by my

collar put me against the wall and exclaimed “Get your sh** and get out, you have 5 minutes and I expect you gone.” Of course mother had no say in this as she just sat there quiet. I packed my back pack grabbed my pillow and my favorite photo of my older brother Rob, my idol. The only reason I wanted to go into the Air Force was because of Rob he inspired me to do something with my life even though I couldn’t follow in his footsteps in the military. Just before I got out the door Mom came running and gave me a big hug and a kiss. So off I went following my dream, for a few days I had to sleep behind the Air Base because I hadn’t been accepted yet. Finally 3 days after I put in my registration to the American Air force I had gotten my approval of acceptance. I was so excited I went home and told mom immediately, mom was so excited for me as she grabbed me in her arms and swung me around saying “I’m so proud of you Willy!” While mom and I were celebrating I glanced over to the lazy boy and there was dad sitting there just glaring at me, it was clear he didn’t want me there so I quickly went up stairs grabbed a pair of my nicest pants and button up shirt and packed them in my bag and off I went.

September 1st 1917 was my first day of the Air Force I put on my nice pants and shirt and off I went to take on my dream. Just before I got there I took a look at the photo in my bag and broke a tear, took a big gulp and wiped my face. I walked in there nervous with sweat flying down my face like bullets, but managed to keep a smile with my head up as I approached Commander Grahm and my fellow Air