Rarely seen Rod Serling story, ‘First Squad, First Platoon,’ draws upon his World War II service

By HILLEL ITALIE
AP National Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — This December marks the centennial of Rod Serling, the late host and writer of the classic TV series “The Twilight Zone.” A newly published story by Serling is the latest to draw upon his traumatizing World War II service, for which he received a Bronze Star and Purple Heart. Serling’s“First Squad, First Platoon,” a fictionalized take on the war that he worked on and set aside while attending Antioch College, appears this week in the new edition of The Strand Magazine. Daughters Jodi Serling and Anne Serling contributed forewords.