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Sailboat is a veteran's legacy
It's been a curious landmark for years - a 38-foot-long steel sailboat firmly anchored in the side yard of a southwest Springfield, Mo., man's home. Passers-by often do a double-take when they see an oceangoing vessel landlocked in a residential neighborhood.
But before anyone calls it an eyesore, consider the story behind that boat.
Bob Rosendahl was a prisoner of war after the Battle of Bataan during World War II.
During the roughest moments at the brutal hands of the Japanese, as a mental escape, Rosendahl kept in mind the boat plans he bought as a young teen for a 32-foot Tahiti ketch that would take him wherever he wanted to go.
Years later, in 1978, Rosendahl set about building the boat they'd dreamed about.
