In Sep 1943, while training soldiers in demolition work, Aalto saw someone drop a live grenade & he lunged for it. Before he could throw it away, the grenade exploded, severing his arm at the wrist. He was medically discharged from the service. After the war, he studied poetry at Columbia University on the GI Bill & socialized with Jack Kerouac, Alan Ansen, WH Auden, & James Schuyler. Aalto died of leukemia in June 1958. He is buried at the Long Island National Cemetery.(5/5) #WW2 #GIBill #LGBTQ