If you meet one, thank them.

[jackalope]

I just spent an hour talking to a man who is the last one if his unit from WWII in the Pacific. He talked about his Springfield rifle being better then the Remington, pulling his buddies out of 4 foot deep mud, how he had to drag the bodies of the guys who didn't make it through the night down the mountain cause the "Japs" would sneak behind the lines at night and slit their throats.

He met McArthur and was awarded medals from him. He didn't want to be called a hero he said all the hero's are still over there.

We talked till he was called back for his Dr apt and I stood up to shake his hand and he started to tear up. I thanked him, asured him that he is indeed a hero and that the world is a better place because of him. He thanked me and turned to leave, his son who was with him shook my hand and thanked me, said I made his dad's day just to have someone to talk to about it, he had tears in his eyes as he told me that. I told him to never let his dad forget he is a hero, he patted my shoulder and left with his dad.

If you're lucky enough to meet one of these hero's take a few minutes out of your day to let them know that they aren't forgotten.

[PainlessWolf]

Jack,
I completely agree. They call those ladies and gentlemen the 'Greatest Generation' for a reason.
regards,
Painless

[jarndice]

Jack, No argument from me. shaun

[greengiant]

Agree most hole hardily. My dad was one of them ( he passed away a short time ago ) and although he preferred not talk about what he saw, he appreciated recognition from the younger generations who benefited from his willingness to put his life on the line for them.

[Horses45]

Defiantly no argument from me either

[HERMAN BIX]

I had a similar but reversed situation many years ago.
I watched a documentary about the German airdrop into Crete. One of the surviving German paratroopers was interviewed & was very candid about what his side and comrades went through and achieved.
All fighting men are similar- but they have to be on a side. Given a common foe-they would fight together.
Three years later I went on site to carry out some alterations to hardware we had supplied, and who was the plant manager ?......yes, the very man in one of the interviews in the documentary.

Being young and audacious enough to ask, in private, was it him and why I was so intrigued & keen to hear, he opened up a fraction of what I am sure was a much greater story & we spent an hour or so on all sorts.

The men of both sides deserve the respect and honour of those that fight & die so others do not have to, regardless of ideals or politics................and I for one will give that respect as a privelidged free man to those that were faced with death, from either side ,that fought for each other well before country or God.

[billpe]

Agree most hole hardily. My dad was one of them ( he passed away a short time ago ) and although he preferred not talk about what he saw, he appreciated recognition from the younger generations who benefited from his willingness to put his life on the line for them.

My Mothers father was quite similar. He didn't speak all that often about it but when he did it was as a warning and to educate me. He spent 6 years tending to the wounded so had a pretty well defined outlook that war was bad. I always remember when we went to war with Iraq the 2nd time, he was absolutely livid about it.

My Fathers Father wouldn't stop talking about it, he was a simpler man though and for him it was an adventure but his side of the family always served in the Royal Navy so were fighting in British conflicts as long as they can remember.

[edpanzer]

This is what was so frustrating about my grandfather he wouldn't talk about it much. I know he was a tank driver and was in the British expeditionary force and was evacuated at Dunkirk after a few days waiting on the beach. He then went to Africa and was issued a Sherman which he hated ( about the only thing he told me first hand) and went from Africa to Sicily and on into Italy. He was a career soldier and left the army in 61 as a Sargent. Those are the facts I've gathered buts what's missing is the story's.

[wibblywobbly]

My father came from a farming family in Northamptonshire, anyone over there will know Stoke Bruerne. Well what is now The Navigation pub was my grandad's house, and when I was a lad all of what is now houses were farm buildings. I never forget going up there after he died, as it was left to 'Uncle Jack', or 'The Major' as the villagers called him.

Uncle Jack was a career soldier, stayed on after the war until he took over the farm. He was at Pottsdam and was also there when Mussolini was lynched and strung up. Interestingly the patch of grass in front of the house (now a beer garden) was one of the few places in the country where the army could pick up German radio transmissions, so there were always vans parked there full of radio equipment.

Uncle Sid was a pilot, flew everything from the age of 18/19, including Spitfires, Lancasters and Liberators, he operated mostly down in the Med. Amazingly he survived the war, but when he came down the aircraft steps that last time he swore that he would never get in another plane as long as he lived. He never did either. He went on to become a Shepherd, and ironically passed away while out tending to the sheep.

My father was a bit of a mystery. He always told us that he was in a reserved profession, so wasn't allowed to fight. As a draughtsman he worked at Rolls Royce, but still got bombed to bits. However, I have flight log books, photo's of him in Naval Uniform, in Army uniform with a caption 'Sniper practice', and know that he was also training in Canada. He never spoke much about the war, so never really discovered what he was doing. He went on to work on Concorde design in later years.

I've been to Normandy a few times and spoken with the Vets, British and US. They all have stories to tell, and it's not until you hear it from someone who was right there on that beach, and the lifetime of nightmares that they had to live with that it brings it home to you. One of them was an 80 year old US medic who was on Omaha. I kid you not he could out-march me back up the hill in Arromanche.