Washington Co., WI – The early years Max Sommerfeld was born in Hustisford, Wisconsin, in 1944. He had four siblings. His parents, Kurt and Fanny, farmed in the area until a land dispute in 1953 pressured them to make a move to West Bend.
Following the move, his grandmother helped them get established in a small home and they went to work as laborers at the West Bend Company. Max graduated from West Bend High School in 1962.
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Following graduation, he also started work at the West Bend Company. The Selective Service Draft and Lottery was in place at that time—Max recalls traveling to Hartford for the mandatory physical and testing. The decision to enlist knowing that his draft number was coming up, Max opted to control the situation by enlisting in the branch of service of his choice rather than waiting for the government to decide his fate. He had a buddy who was in the Marines, but that did not interest him. The Navy offered a dry bed and some educational options, so in February of 1965 Max entered into duty with the U.S.
Navy and he chose Naval Base San Diego for his boot camp.
Max said he easily developed relationships with other recruits and had a company commander who was fair. This made his adjustment to the Navy and his endurance of boot camp a bit smoother. He recalls being required to…
Read the rest of Sommerfeld’s profile in the Spring edition of Cedar Community’s Live More Magazine HERE.
Cedar Community’s award-winning Live More magazine is published quarterly and includes the latest updates on our initiatives, resident stories, and insights into the retirement living lifestyle.
