I enjoyed your article “Honoring Our Heroes.” However, I was quite surprised to read that the average tour of duty during WWII was “only 45 days.” I believe Laura Ymker needs to do more research.
Don W. Marek
West Des Moines, Iowa
Editor’s note: In “Honoring Our Heroes” from the May/June 2010 issue, Laura Ymker, director of the National Memorial Day Parade for the American Veteran’s Center, stated, “During World War II, the average tour was only 45 days.” To clarify, Ymker was referring to the average number of days of combat that infantrymen saw. According to the Center, the average length of overall active duty by U.S. military personnel during World War II was 33 months.
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