Seven brothers in service: Victor Kindell sent to Germany during Korean War

MLive.com: Seven brothers in service: Victor Kindell sent to Germany during Korean War

TAWAS CITY — Victor Kindell, now 80, remembers the words on the top of his draft letter in the early 1950s — "Your friends and neighbors have selected you."

"I remember those words," Victor Kindell said. "Basically my thought was, would I ever make it?"

Following the path of five older brothers who had served in the military during World War II, his brother Leo Kindellgave him a few words of advice: "Don't believe anything you hear and only half of what you see."

Victor Kindell said he remembers looking up to his older brothers during their time in the war. He can only imagine how much worrying his parents must have gone through with five sons overseas at once, he said.

"I remember I was old enough to know what was going on," said Victor Kindell, who was 15 when World War II came to a close. "I was worried where they were and if they were still alive."

All the brothers survived the war.

During training camp for his own time in the military, he fully expected to be sent to Korea, he said. The Korean War was "going good" at the time and he remembers seeing a few guys sitting down and crying when they received their orders to be sent to Korea.

Instead, he was sent to Germany, where most of his work involved driving tanks, looking after equipment and participating in constant training. His brother, Larry, also was sent to Germany to work in the artillery.

Victor Kindell never was engaged in battle, but one situation still involved some quick thinking. He was helping direct a tank into a spot he had picked out to park it at night. The tank was running with night lights that didn't give off much light in the dark, he said, and when a tank began approaching him without stopping, he realized the driver could not see him.

"I was that close to getting flattened," Victor said with a smile. "If I hadn't jumped, I would have been run over."

After returning home, he worked in the woods cutting timber. He married his wife, Irene, and had two sons, Victor and Eugene.