I was drafted into the Army on August 26, 1953. I took 8 weeks of infantry basic training and 8 weeks of engineer basic training at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri.

They flew me to Fort Belvoir Virginia on New Years Eve. I went to a rock crusher school for 3 weeks and did well, graduating at the top of my class. I never saw a rock crusher again!

We took a train to Camp Carson Colorado and ended up in a transportation company. I drove 5 ton and 2 1/2 ton trucks, but drove Jeeps mostly. We made a lot of trips from Camp Carson to Camp Hale and I was stationed in Camp Hale for 2 months where we were a support group for the 11th Airbourne, doing mountain and cold weather training. I got moved back to Camp Carson where I drove a Jeep the rest of my time.

I came back to North Bend on the 4th of July weekend of 1954 and moved my wife Kathy and a mobile home to Colorado Springs. Kathy brought her father, Ross Rohde's pickup back to Nebraska to attend a family reunion. 

Uncle Sam was running low on money and I was discharged on our second wedding anniversary, June 18, 1955; a very nice gift! Kathy's parents, Ross and Kathryn Rohde, came out to Colorado and moved us back to Nebraska. 

My children are Rick Lodl, Jeff Lodl, Cherie Lodl, and Dawn Lodl.