Grover Sears Charlotte Hall Veterans Home, Maryland The year was 1941. Japan had just attacked America's Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, bringing the United States into a world war that had been raging for more than two years. Countless brave and determined young men from around the country were being drafted for service, and 27-year-old Grover Sears was among them. In fact, he was one of the first draftees from Washington, D.C. Following short stints at Fort Myers and Petersburg, Virginia, Mr. Sears headed straight for 12 weeks of basic training at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. "At that time," recalls Mr. Sears, "the military was sending its troops back and forth around the country so enemy spies wouldn't really know where we were going." So Mr. Sears criss-crossed the United States, finally ending up at Fort MacDowell in California. He knew it wouldn't be long before he was shipped to the conflict in the Pacific, and within weeks he was headed to the Scoffield Barracks in Hawaii, headquarters of the U.S. Army 25th Infantry Division. It was there that Mr. Sears joined his unit and received the intensive artillery training he would need for the battles ahead. During his three-and-a-half years in the service, Mr. Sears spent time in Guadalcanal, the Philippines and Bougainville Island and earned a host of medals, including five stars for battles and invasions and the Good Conduct Medal. Despite the passing of time, Mr. Sears remembers his time spent in the Pacific vividly-from friends he met and pranks he pulled to missions he survived, all tinged with the unforgettable sights and sounds of war. "Our ship was among 80 or so in a convoy headed for Lingayen Gulf in the Philippines," recalls Mr. Sears. "The 161st Infantry went south, the 35th went north and the 27th went to Okinawa, where, sadly, a lot of men lost their lives. Once we landed, it was my job to transport equipment-guns, ammunition and other supplies-to the set-up area, wherever that happened to be at the time. I remember having to drive a fully loaded truck around the Philippines for 104 hours, non-stop. If I pulled over to take a break or try to get some sleep, the MPs made me keep moving, just so the Japanese wouldn't hit me." Sears admits he was one of the lucky few to come out of the Army with no wartime injuries, except for a broken finger he sustained from a spinning tire. But Mr. Sears wonders how he could be so fortunate, especially when he recalls one "smart trick" he pulled with a bunch of guys. "It was 1945, the war was mostly over, and me and a few guys went up to Bladey Pass-where the last battle of the Philippines was fought-to hunt for souvenirs. The Air Force had bombed the area and there was hardly a limb on a tree. The trunks were poking out of the ground like sharp sticks. We ran into a Japanese soldier up there who was so skinny and ill that he couldn't even raise his gun, but I'm sure he'd have shot us if he could. Maybe that wasn't such a smart thing for us boys to do." One year almost to the day after his discharge from the Army, Mr. Sears was struck by an automobile, which put him in the hospital for weeks with a crushed leg and arm. He's quick to point out the irony in that. Today, Mr. Sears resides comfortably at the state of Maryland's Charlotte Hall Veterans Home, where he feels his needs are well met. He doesn't do much-his right hand is almost paralyzed and he's mostly wheelchair-bound-but he goes on the occasional shopping trip and enjoys visits from his daughter every two weeks. In fact, the satisfaction level among most residents is fairly high. According to Fred Shroyer, State Director of Charlotte Hall Veterans Home, the state and federal funding his home receives ensures that his residents have excellent medical care, living quarters, meals and activities. But a little extra money from private sources could help pave and grade a nearby walking trail, build a resident garden, renovate several common areas, install power doors at the home's second entrance and fund other such projects. As for Mr. Sears, he is happy at Charlotte Hall, despite being on the waiting list for a private room. "I have a great roommate, and he'd do anything for me," adds Mr. Sears. "But I just want a private room." A small request, but one that could make a big difference in Mr. Sears.