Attached is another photo, this one of my Granddad Vernon Snodgrass and his friend Andy Phillips.
Granddad shared a story with me about Andy. During their training at Camp Gruber Oklahoma, Andy graciously took my Granddad home with him on a weekend pass. Andy was from Hackett, Arkansas.
I guess the bus dropped the two of them off in Hackett about dusk, and they began walking... after a couple of miles, my Granddad asked Andy "how much further", Andy replied, "It's just a piece up the road".... after a while further, my Granddad asked again, "how much further?"... and again Andy replied "just a piece up the road yet".... this questioning continued numerous times over the next couple of hours, when they finally arrived at Andy's home place in the middle of the night!
As I understand it, the home place was not much more than a shack in the middle of the Arkansas woods, but the arrival of the soldiers was reason for a celebration. The story goes that Andy's Pa, Ma and all the kids got up for a party. Pa killed a chicken and Ma made the best fried chicken dinner my Granddad had ever eaten (especially in the middle of the night). After the meal, they all laid back down for what was left of a good nights sleep. My Granddad said that as he lay down, he could see the Arkansas stars through the roof of the most hospitable family he'd ever met.
Andy is mentioned in the book "We the 48th" on page 345 of the Roster.
Very Truly,
Snod's Grandson
