Private Al Troha

Al is a nineteen-year-old from Allenhurst, Georgia, who has experienced the worst life can give. His parents lost their farm early into the depression and struggled to find any solid place to call home. They moved from place to place with a canvas tent for a home and whatever belongings they could carry on their backs. Wherever they landed, they still made the trek to their church on every Sunday.

This life wasn’t easy for his father. He struggled to find work and the jobs he did find paid little for back breaking work. Al and his five brothers made the most of what they could to help their folks. Al and his youngest brother hunted while the other four took on chores to help mother.

The longer they lived on the land the more often Al’s parents began to argue. They’d scream at one another to which Al would lead his brothers out on an adventure to find new plants to try for dinner. His parents arguing grew until one day his father left and never returned. Days later, Al and his youngest brother went hunting and found their father hanging from a tree.

Their tragedy caught the eye of a fellow parishioner name Mr. John who held a steady job in the government. He took Al’s family in and gave them a roof over their heads, hearty meals to eat, and access to his American Bosch radio that played The Shadow. Al fell immediately in love with the adventurous stories of Lamont Cranston and his catch phrase, “Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!”