My dad grew up in Louisburg, Missouri (population 200) on a small farm. He was drafted the day he graduated from high school, but World War II ended while he was in basic training. He was in the Army for two years in post-war Washington, D.C. as a Security Police office worker, then returned to the farm.
When the Korean War began, the Army was going to re-induct him, so he joined the Air Force. After his training, dad spent a couple years at Selfridge AFB, Michigan, near Detroit, then was PCS'd to Wurtsmith AFB, Michigan. He was a radio repairman on F-84s (I think) at Wurtsmith. He left the Air Force after his 6-year enlistment was up.
My mom was from Standish, Michigan. Mom already had a son, David, who Dad adopted. They had me and my sister in their first 3 years after their marriage. A couple years later, when I was four, we moved to Springfield, MO, where I lived until entering USAFA.
The photo of my parents is the day they eloped to get married.
