Requiscat in Pacem

Jerome David Salinger

01 JAN 1919 - 27 JAN 2010

A 1936 graduate of the Valley Forge Military Academy and College, where he managed the fencing team, Mr Salinger was drafted into the United States Army when America entered World War 2.

Trained as a Counter Intelligence wonk, Staff Sergeant Salinger used his fluency in the French and German languages to interrogate German POW and defectors until 1944, when he was attached to the 4th Infantry Division -- in particular the 12th Regiment, where on June 6th, Staff Sergeant Salinger landed on a bit of sand called Utah Beach.

Later that same year Jerome Salinger -- and the 4th, as part of the US Army's XII Corp -- found himself in a bit of a scuffle in a place called Hürtgen Forest, which led up to the famous Battle of the Bulge.

After the end of the war, Staff Sergeant Jerome Salinger was briefly hospitalized for "battle fatigue", then found himself a quiet career writing short stories, as J.D. Salinger.

Rest in peace, sir.

LawDog