More Shreds About My Father's Willingness

My blog entry from the other day prompted my younger brother, Welles (known as ‘Willis’ in the book), to add more key components in figuring out, “Why did my father let his son hitchhike across America and back when I was still in high school?”  Welles writes, “By the time he was 19, Dad was a soldier, preparing to ship out to war. By age 20, he was overseas in uniform, in the line of enemy fire, giving his life to defend the Allied cause in World War II. If Dad was serving by 19, he figured by 17 you were ready to step into the adult world. He also said to me once that, given his tense relationship with you, he figured allowing you to get away for a summer would help improve relations, by giving you something to do and helping you to grow up. I also go back to Dad the boy scout. He learned a lot of self-sufficiency in the Scouts and figured you could benefit in similar ways on the road.” Thanks, Welles, for helping me to consider this aspect.  I’m grateful to finally getting insight to this puzzling question, which up until now has never been discussed or answered within my family.