The last of his kind: Altamont WWII veteran reflects on life in the military

Thomas Rollins puts on his Army uniform in the bedroom of his home on Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017, in Altamont, Tenn. Rollins gave away his original Eisenhower jacket to a man in need during cold weather in Chicago, but a stranger he met during a Labor Day re-enactment in Fort Oglethorpe, Ga., sent him a replacement. Rollins is a veteran of the United States Army who served with the 28th Infantry Division in the European theater during World War II. He was drafted in 1944 and served until 1946 before enlisting an additional 3 years in the Army Reserves.

By Ben Benton November 3, 2017 5 min read

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The last of his kind: Altamont WWII veteran reflects on life in the military

Thomas Rollins looks through a collection of belongings related to his World War II service in his home on Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017, in Altamont, Tenn. Rollins is a veteran of the United States Army who served with the 28th Infantry Division in the European theater during World War II. He was drafted in 1944 and served until 1946 before enlisting an additional 3 years in the Army Reserves.

Thomas Rollins holds a news clipping about a friend, John Flanagan, who was killed in World War II while speaking about his service from his home on Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017, in Altamont, Tenn. Rollins is a veteran of the United States Army who served with the 28th Infantry Division in the European theater during World War II. He was drafted in 1944 and served until 1946 before enlisting an additional 3 years in the Army Reserves.

Thomas Rollins looks at a photograph of himself framed with medals from his service in World War II that hangs on the wall of his home on Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017, in Altamont, Tenn. Rollins is a veteran of the United States Army who served with the 28th Infantry Division in the European theater during World War II. He was drafted in 1944 and served until 1946 before enlisting an additional 3 years in the Army Reserves.

Thomas Rollins points to his Army marksman badge with machine gun qualification bar while trying on his uniform in the bedroom of his home on Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017, in Altamont, Tenn. Rollins is a veteran of the United States Army who served with the 28th Infantry Division in the European theater during World War II. He was drafted in 1944 and served until 1946 before enlisting an additional 3 years in the Army Reserves.

Bio:

Name: Thomas Rollins Age: 91 Home: Altamont, Tenn. Military branch and rank: U.S. Army, corporal

ALTAMONT, Tenn. – Despite his 91 years, Grundy County, Tenn., World War II veteran Thomas Rollins sees himself as a youngster compared with the men he served with in Germany.

Rollins was an 18-year-old in the tiny town of Altamont, taking any work he could get – mostly at the local saw mill or nearby farms – when he was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1944.

The draft letter was no surprise when he picked it up from the town’s post office. Many of his friends already had been called to duty. Some had returned. Others had not.

“It said, ‘Greetings from the President of the United States. You have been selected,'” Rollins recalled with a smile.