[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by blueash

Regular measles, rubeola, the kind we are talking about here does NOT cause birth defects but is in itself a significant illness in those who become infected.

There is an entirely different illness, rubella, AKA German measles that is a trivial illness in those who catch it. The only concern with rubella is the damage it can cause to the fetus. Rubella is the R in MMR. Rubella does not cause children to be born without arms or legs. So whatever illness your army friend had, it was not measles or german measles that led to this sad outcome. If this child was born in 1960-61 and the mother was in Europe, being the military, she may have been given Thalidomide which did cause this outcome.

Agree. Sounds more like the phocomelia caused by Thalidomide.