Listening Is an Act of Love

by Anonymous

In the book interview, "Listening Is an Act of Love", Joseph L. Robertson, 87, was interviewed by his son-in-law, John H. Fish JR., 61.

So, John asked Joseph about how he joined the army before World War II as a young man.

He responded, "I went to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to visit my brother who was in the service". His CO asked me, 'Why don't you join the Army?' He said that he wasn't ready because he was only sixteen.

This conversation led him to join the army. He was Infantry soldier. The next day, they were scheduled to land on D-day. D-Day is June 6, 1944 "the day on which the Invasion of Normandy began" commencing the Western Allied effort to liberate mainland Europe from Nazi occupation during World War II.

Unfortunately, the Twenty-ninth Infantry Division had a terrible time landing. They didn't make it in, and they went back into the ocean and spent night behind the battleship Texas because they were in a little landing craft with no weapons other than one machine gun.

Joseph Robertson tells the story about how he killed a young German enemy. The German kids were Hitler youth and they all dressed in their black SS uniforms. They were aged from twelve to fourteen. One of them was coming out of woods.

Suddenly, he hid behind a tree. So, he let him crawl and didn?t fire at him, but when he got up within three or four feet of me, he stared to pull his gun toward him. "This young man, he was a blond, blue eye, fair skinned, so handsome. He was like a little angel, but I still had to shoot him. And it didn't bother me the first night because I was so tired, I went to sleep. But the second night I woke up crying, because that kid was there. And to this day I wake up many nights crying over this kid. I still see him in my dreams. And I don't know how to get him off my mind".
For me, hearing my father tell stories about the endless war in Afghanistan has led to make a choice about my future. I've learned a lot about war and it made me interested in politics.

Since that time, I encouraged myself to become a lawyer one day and support Afghanistan, my worn-torn country. I am very excited that I have a safe life and there is no more war.

Also, I thank god for everything that he saved my family from that dreadful war especially my brother, who actually escaped from the Taliban and now he lives in Iran. I am so glad that he is safe now and I wish him best of luck in the future.