Take a dash of country charm and mix with 16 months of combat duty, then top with eight decades of experience, and you have the necessary ingredients for a captivating story of service and sacrifice during a tumultuous time in our nation's history.
In 1924, just outside of the community of Gasconade, Herbert Kuebler was born and raised on a small family farm.
"Everyone kind of worked at the shoe company then," stated Kuebler. "I was really just kind of biding my time there because I knew that I was likely going to be drafted for the war."
True to his premonition, Kuebler received his draft notice in early 1943, when he was just 18 years old. In April of the same year, he reported to Jefferson Barracks for his in-processing into the U.S. Army.