From 1945 until 1962 the life-shaping experiences and surrounding conditions of one World War II orphan as he develops into manhood serve as poignant reminders for all of us of what was good, bad, and ugly about those times. In this recantation, readers may find an occasional suggestion for some of the cultural, moral, or social problems plaguing a troubled country of apathetic oldsters, confused Baby Boomers, and educated Generation X-ers. Some may, through the eyes of a little white war-orphan, experience the personal turmoil generated as an oppressed and subdued "Negro" culture rose to claim its rightful place in our society. Some may even catch glimpses of Arkansas politics and how it affected the lives of the people in these stories. These are my stories and the way I have relived them for you. And those who have read them strangely feel a compulsion to share their own stories and to write them for their own family and friends. To write about your own life is to live it again and this time with much more relish than before. It is truly a miracle that we survived our youth using today's standards. But survive we did and many of us even thrived either because of what life threw in our paths...or in spite of the circumstances and challenges we faced.