For my own part, my father’s father was 28 when America entered WWII. However, as the son of two German immigrants he was not drafted. He was called before the draft board, but the board decided not to conscript him. A short time thereafter, my grandfather found out that one member of the board had argued my grandfather would have “been a better fit for a Nazi recruiting poster” since as a tall, blond German he fit Hitler’s ‘Aryan’ stereotype. Neither my father nor the elder two of his younger brothers were conscripted. The youngest two of his brothers (twins born after my aunt (the only girl of 6 children)) attended college and did not graduate till after conscription had ended. One of my cousins served in the National Guard early in the 2000’s, but his enlistment ended years before his unit was sent to Iraq.

My mother’s father did serve in World War II, as a B-25 bombardier based out of Port Morseby. He was shot down twice, and the second time the Japanese shot down the Catalina that rescued him. This ended his war, as he was sent home and finished hostilities on stateside duties. As plus, this did allow him time to marry my mother’s mother.