Herman Lee Stringer was born October 11, 1921, in the hilltop farming community of Eagle Rock, Missouri. His childhood was shaped by hard work, close knit family life, and the rugged beauty of the Ozarks. As Herman recalled, “We lived on a farm and the house sat upon a hill overlooking the valley.” He attended school in a one room schoolhouse under teacher Gladys Wardlow, sharing the long walk and daily adventures with his brothers Aaron, Bud, and George. Life on the farm meant chores, responsibility, and the occasional misadventure. Herman once hooked his hand so deeply while “pretending to fish off a rock fence” that his father had to cut it out with a razor blade — a memory he never forgot. As the family grew to seven boys, Herman learned early the value of work. He turned the hand separator twice a day, planted corn for Ray Skelton for twenty five cents a day, and later plowed corn and shocked wheat for Floyd Easley, who paid him fifty cents a day and “fed me lots of watermelon.” When Herman was nine, the family moved to Mano, Missouri. He and George carved their names into the stone steps of the new home — a rock that still survives today in the hands of Johnny Stringer. The Depression years were lean, but the Stringer boys were resourceful. Herman remembered the day Aaron lit a long fuse on a stick of dynamite at Rock Creek: “That night the Stringer family had plenty of fish for dinner.” As a teenager, Herman worked hauling cedar posts, loading potatoes, fighting forest fires, and even driving a troublesome truck to Woodward, Oklahoma to help build an earthen dam. He kept only enough money to eat and brought the rest home — about forty dollars. Heading West — and Meeting the Girl Who’d Change His Life In 1940, Herman and Bud drove a 1936 Chevy day and night to Oregon, delivering Henry Brown (Skelton), Vesta, Berta, and Joan to the Earls family. There, Herman met Dorthlan Earls again — the girl who had once lived near Eagle Rock before her family moved west during the Depression. She won his heart with a homemade apple pie, a detail Herman cherished for life. World War II: The 737th Tank Battalion After returning home, Herman received his draft orders. He trained at Ft. Knox, Ft. Lewis, and in the deserts of Oregon before shipping out from Camp Miles Standish in February 1943. The journey to Europe took 13 rough days aboard a converted banana boat. Herman wrote, “I was sick as a dog.” When the ship broke down, a lone sub chaser circled them through the night to protect them from German U boats. The battalion landed in Wales, then moved to Nuneaton, England — nicknamed “No Eating” by the troops. They trained in bitter cold for five months. Herman’s KP duty came after a sergeant caught him building a fire in the tent; he never forgot the “dirtiest clay stoves” or the burned hotcakes served with orange marmalade — a taste he avoided for the next sixty years. The highlight of Nuneaton was the night Herman “borrowed” a jeep, escaped camp, and filled it with fish and chips — the best meal he had in the Army. Normandy and Beyond Seven days after D Day, Herman drove a tank ammunition truck off an LST under sniper fire. MPs shouted at him to “drive like hell,” and he did. He served in a platoon of seven tanks, one fuel truck, and his ammunition truck — part of the 737th Tank Battalion under General Patton. At St. Lo, Herman witnessed tragic friendly fire bombing and the death of General McNair. Later, he and PFC Hutch survived behind enemy lines in a foxhole recently abandoned by German soldiers. Herman remembered watching the hood of an exploding American ammo truck float down “in slow motion,” landing beside him. The battalion pushed through France, crossed the Saar River under heavy fire while Herman hauled 15 tons of explosive tank ammunition, and fought through Germany and Luxembourg. They spent Christmas Day 1945 in the Battle of the Bulge, eating their holiday meal a week late. The war ended for Herman in Winterburg, Czechoslovakia on May 8, 1945. He served 22 months overseas and 38 months in the Army. A Love Rekindled While Herman was overseas, he and Dorthlan wrote letters faithfully. Before leaving for Europe, Herman had seen her again near the Mano Bridge, where she was teaching school. He asked her to a movie, and the courtship began. After the war, Herman returned home and asked for her hand in marriage. On February 15, 1946, Herman and Mary Dorthlan Earls were married by Reverend Loren Easley, with Bud Stringer and Willadean Horner as witnesses. Herman was 24; Dorthlan was 20. Legacy Herman’s life was a testament to resilience, humor, courage, and devotion — to his family, his country, and the woman he loved. From the hills of Eagle Rock to the battlefields of Europe, his story reflects the grit and heart that run deep in the Stringer family.