Brother Joe sent us this interesting e-mail today:

TO: All concerned

This morning, I made a fast trip to the Marshfield, MO Library. They have the Marshfield Mail on microfilm and I looked over the Jan thru July and found the following which I will type and also send a copy of the actual item later. It is very poor in quality and may be difficult for you to read. Here it comes, from the Marshfield Mail, July 31, 1947

"Wins 'Boots and Wings'
As Paratrooper

NOTE: Next is a picture of poor quality which I will send later, probably tonight.

Pvt. Bernie D. Fellin, son of
Mrs. Marie Fellin, of Marshfield
has earned the right to wear the
"Boots and Wings" of the United
States Army Airborne Troops.He
has completed six weeks of com-
bined Parachute and Glider train
-ing at the Infantry School, Fort
Benning. Ga. during which time
he made seven parachute jumps,
the last two being tactical, one at
night and the other at the break
of dawn. In the glider course,
several special glider flights were
made to orient him on glider war-
fare.
The modern war science has
been augmented with airborne
war methods, as developed in
World War II and the prowess of
the American Airborne Trooper
has been recognized throughout
the world both in the fields of
ability and action against the
enemy."


If you do the arithmetic, this young Bernie Fellin was 19 years old and had recently lost his father. No lack of courage here! We learned when we went to Bernie and Maudie's 55th wedding anniversary that he went on to Officers' Candidate School, finishing first in his class (of 500?). No lack of brains either!