It may be hard to believe, but before this interview I never knew that my grandfather was involved in the Korean War. It wasn't, and isn't, something he talks about unless asked. Talking to him about his experiences taught me so much not only about him, but about my family. I know my grandfather as the man who dresses up as Santa Claus because he bears an uncanny resemblance to him, the man who bakes bread as a hobby. This information revealed a part of him that I didn't know was there. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Michael Sosik was born on November 11, 1943. His father, who died just a few years ago, was a World War II veteran who was on the beaches of Normandy just a couple of weeks after D-Day. He grew up in Pennsylvania and enlisted in the Army on March 23, 1962. When I said I was surprised he remembered the exact date, he said, “It's a day you really don't forget.” When he enlisted, he was already married to my grandmother, Doris Sosik, known to former Burgess students as the beloved Mrs. Sosik. He chose the Army over the Navy despite his previous experience with boats because he wanted to serve two years instead of four and he wanted Special Forces. When I asked my grandfather why he enlisted, he said, “Patriotism. The President invited people to volunteer, said he was looking for "some good men". I answered the call voluntarily. It was a mistake." Michael described his first days of service as “lost and confused”. He didn't like the feeling of his civil privileges being taken away. He had to cut his hair longer, wear the same uniform as everyone else and have the same rank as all the other men: he describes this as "a breaking down of one's individualism". His athleticism was the only thing that set him apart from other young men. The food he described as "pretty disgusting". He said they were fed C rations, which were canned in 1943, the year he was born. His work assignments varied throughout his service. He was an infantryman, jumping out of airplanes, being a gunner on a helicopter, learning to fight in jungle and mountain environments and working with a chaplain, who he called “an amazing man.” A chaplain is a Catholic priest who provided spiritual and moral support to the men who were fighting. When asked what his most memorable experiences are, he recalls the time he jumped out of a plane and landed right in the center of a large pine tree, becoming trapped just a few feet above the ground. He walked away from that incident with only scratches. Another experience took place while driving a Jeep. Michael and his crew heard the shots and suddenly a bullet went through the spare tire of the vehicle. He kept that bullet and still has it today. On another occasion he was in a helicopter when the compressor stopped at about 3,000 feet in the air. The crew brought the helicopter down with autorotation and the terrain rose rapidly. When they landed, they hit the ground so hard that the helicopter's tail broke off. They were all scary, but the experience he considers the worst happened once he returned from abroad. He was stationed at Fort Bragg in the Carolina maneuver area, which included southern North Carolina and northern South Carolina. He was a gunsmith and advisor, testing weapons systems on helicopters in preparation for Vietnam. It was early morning and visibility was poor. There is no radar on helicopters, so there is no other way to understand what is around other than your own vision. Whenthey took off from the landing zone, nose down, they saw a whole formation of other helicopters approaching above the trees. They quickly threw the helicopter back to the ground, destroying it. He says: "You go overseas and you're in a combat situation and you come home and you're just training - and you come across something like this. The only thing that goes through your head is, 'I've been through it all. this and now I'm going to die here?' I thought for sure I would die that day.” Regarding life abroad, my grandfather had a unique experience. I asked him what people did to occupy their free time. He replied that many men went to seeing prostitutes, but he had another hobby. He very much loved visiting orphanages in Korea and volunteering with children. He became very fond of one of the girls he met in an orphanage. If he were financially able, he would have adopted. Despite this, he wants to find her, but says: “It seems like no one can help me. I know her information, her name, where she was… I couldn't find her.” been all over the United States, Korea, Japan, Thailand and Cambodia. When he talked about these places, he felt like he was vividly reliving his memories. He said: “Korea is very hilly this valley from above, and they are covered with rice balls, but there are clouds in the sky, so you see these light and dark green spots in the shadow of the clouds. "The relationships he had with his fellow soldiers and his officers were stronger overseas than they were when he returned to America. For the most part they were pretty good, but he says, 'There are bad apples in every barrel, just like every other thing." When he was in the United States, he took his wife with him wherever he went, so he didn't socialize much. One friend he made was the son of a Nazi officer named Ulf. They were neighbors abroad and took turns anyway day. When they returned to America, Ulf returned to the Midwest where he lived. A couple of months ago, my grandfather looked him up online and found an obituary. Through this, he learned that Ulf lived in Northborough, Massachusetts, and had only been dead 3 months ago. For thirteen years they had lived within 30 minutes of each other. When Mike spoke to Ulf's wife, she remembered his name , now at my age, that these people that I worked so closely with, that I risked my life with, leave this Earth." My grandfather left the Army as an E-5, which is equivalent to a Sergeant. He quickly readjusted to civilian life. He joined the VFW and the American Legion, and his education was supported by the GI Bill. He served an apprenticeship, started a building business, went into publishing and eventually started Northeast Merchant Systems in Sturbridge, which is the job he retired from. He had four sons, all of whom were discouraged from joining the army. Now he has 15 grandchildren, including me. When he reflects on his years in the military he says he's glad he did it, but he would never recommend it. He strongly dislikes the politics involved in the war. He's proud, but he wouldn't do it again, and says that if he grew up in this day and age, he wouldn't want to be involved in that "mess." He says he lives with problems today because of what he does. he did in service and transformed the way he sees life. Most of all, he says, it affects how he thinks about credibility. In the military you report what you saw, not what you “think” you saw or what you analyze it to be. This is also important in life. Many people embellish what they see and don't even realize it. His military service also taught him how to rely on others and how to trust someone with his life..