Alvin Ray Minchow

Birth date	August 11,1922
Age they entered the service	17
Hometown	Casper, Wyoming but he was born in Uenango, Nebraska
Branch of the service	Army
Rank	Sergeant
Name of their unit	41^st 115 cavalry
When they served	1939-1946
Where did you serve?	Philippines
Did you enlist or were you drafted?	Enlisted, he quit school to go fight for his country. The army later found out he was only 17.
How did you feel about going to war?	He felt he had to go and it was his duty to fight for his country.
Did you have any family members that went to war? If so, did they survive?	Yes, his younger brother went to Korea.
Were you ever wounded? How and where?	Yes, once his tank was hit in the Philippines. Another time, a grenade blew up beside him and fragments of rock and dirt blew into his chest and arm. He later turned down the Purple Heart.
Did you receive any medals? Which ones?	Yes, the Bronze Star, Silver Star, and many others.

Do you have a war story you would like to tell?	Alvin kept most of the war to himself. Two weeks before he passed away, he told his son a few stories. The first time he shot another man he got very sick. He had about 5 minutes to think about it, and then he had to shoot more or die himself.
What was your reaction when you found out the war was over?	His son believed he was grateful and very proud.
What was the most frightening event of the war for you?	His son believes the most freighting event was when his dad and 4 other men crawled under a bunch of downed trees. The Japanese set up their camp in the same spot. They stayed there for a day and a half not making a noise. Huge lizards would walk on them. No one slept in fear of snoring. Alvin said that those 4 men ended up being his best friends.
What was the most cherished memory of the war for you?	Coming home alive.
Do you have regrets about your service in World War II?
How do you feel about America today?	Alvin loved his country and would get mad when someone would disrespect the American Flag. He also would get angry when people would talk bad about the U.S.
How do you feel about the war with Iraq?	The first war he thought we should have continued until Iraq was free of Saddam. He never was able to see the Second War.
Is there anything else you would like to add?	Be thankful that we live in the United States. Take care of our country and do your part in keeping it the best in the world.