And so, concluded the tall, friendly colonel, the soldier deserted because he was afraid and lacked self-confidence. The seventh-graders nodded sagely, then piped up as their teacher called for comment on the visitor's story.
"The soldier's mother was to blame," remarked Billy. "She didn't allow him to be independent." A boy named Caleb thought the G.I. had deserted too soon: "If it had come to a showdown, the soldier might have shown more courage than he thought he had." John guessed: "Fear isn't always bad. Sometimes it's good. It makes you more alert."
Before the class was over last week, 25 or 30...
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