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Great reminders. For all those who got thrown out of the house - or threw themselves out - and lived to tell the tale!!

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Ah, there was once a fine saying from WW2 that kept up the brief display of singular courage among our troops: "Keep 'em flyin'!" we said! I did and brought my nickel to classes back in '43 every week and got a bond. A bond is a good thing, Mr. K. Keep those shows coming. You are much more a seeding Johnny Appleseed of enjoyment for us. "Stick around! We need you!"

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Jul 21·edited Jul 21

Some confusion for me: I've read Hemingway wanted to enlist but was too young at 17 and didn't have his parents' permission.

He appears to have signed up for Missouri National Guard infantry before America declared war but was rejected because of poor eyesight (age, too?). He then was accepted by the American Red Cross while he was working for the Kansas City Star. Who knows for sure? Help.

No confusion: Most say Hadley, Hemingway's first wife - not Hemingway - lost his works at a train station in Lausanne, Switzerland while en route to meet him. They say the valise containing the papers was left behind and stolen while she went for Evian water or something.

Hemingway turned 18 on July 21, 1917. America entered the war in April that year. He couldn't wait.The eyesight thing must have steered him to the American Red Cross. I think he was itchy to see action, and the eyesight thing must have been a factor. Obscenity another vision test!

He served well and truly as an ambulance driver; no doubt about that. I admire him for that.

Hemingway was an avid hunter as a kid and teen, and he later went on to slaughter hundreds of animals in Africa and had a keen eye for bullfights and rainbow trout despite his poor vision.

I'm not knocking Ernest Hemingway. Bottom line: I think he was really itchy to see action in WWI.

Please feel free to correct me.

I love Big Two-Hearted River and so many others - Up In Michigan, Three Shots. The Killers ...

Thanks for your time. Thanks Ernestly.

P.S. My grandfather (born 1896) fought in WWI in Belgium and France. He was 131st Infantry Division, Illinois National Guard (Chicago) originally, later 33rd (Golden Cross) Infantry Division overseas. It seems he was born (up in Holland, Michigan) wearing glasses; was avid hunter and fisherman as kid and teen; trained as a sniper in Texas wearing glasses. (I have photos).

I think Hemingway would have been accepted by the army had he waited. But he couldn't. Itchy. Eager for adventure.

You know what? I've got the itch to read more Hemingway all of a sudden. And I will hoist a daiquiri or two in his honor.

Sorry to take up so much space.

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Chocolates. Nice. He also had to pick up body parts after an explosion in Italy. Not so sweet.

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"one of the only" cartoons? For shame! It's "one of the few" or "the only"!

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I have an affinity for Hemingway because I was born in Chicago and family was from Michigan where we vacationed just like Papa. I think Oak Park, Illinois should do a running of the bulls each and every July. Will contact chamber of commerce.To heck with Pamplona.

I had the affinity (or as we say in El Paso, Illinois "La afinidad). I was a reporter and once used a typewriter. I hated commas, period. I fished often with gramp at local lakes and even in unlocal distant lakes in Canadia and Wisconsin. No hunting for me, though. One BB gun shot, at age 12, that killed a robin, did it. Great shot. Dead robin. Tears. No more guns.

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