[ELCruiser]

Was in line at the post office the other day and ended up talking to a very nice elderly lady. Mentioned that I'd seen the USAF car tag and I was a USAF vet. She said I needed to talk to her husband who was waiting in the car, he just loved talking to vets!

So I helped her back out the door and met her husband. He was thrilled that he had a chance to talk to a vet and we had a great little talk. Here it was just after Pearl Harbor Day and I was talking with the former top sargent from Hickam field! He was 90+ and still looking spry. He told me, with pride, that he was a charter member of the WWII museum in New Orleans and liked to drive over there when he could. He also had been in counter intelligence for the invasion of Okinawa. So I mentioned that had been one of the landings my father was part of. His last and fifth amphib assault after the push up through the Solomons. He then wanted to hear about what my father had done and what I had done. Wonderful gent. He did get a quiet look at the end and said that it was getting sad 'cause all his old comrades were pretty much gone now. but he perked up and we exchanged a few more words.

My hats of to the greatest generation. It's always a pleasure to meet another vet like him.

 

[gottripletsNC]

It is a different feeling when you meet one of the greatest generation isn't it. Where I work as a paramedic, is in an area that is comprised of a very high percentage of retired folk. In one day, I picked up four WW2 aviators. One Navy, and three Army Air Corps.

 

[Reconvic]

They are to be respected I feel to the Max. They sure earned it!

 

[TraderJack]

As a youngster I had heard that my uncle was at Tarawa so I asked him what the war was like. The answer he gave me was the same one he gave to everybody who asked.
He just smiled and said "we had one helluva swim over there".

I never new what he meant until I studied WWII in high school.
After that, I always gave him a big hug everytime I saw him. He passed in '91.

You had a great moment in time there my friend. What a pleasure it must have been to talk with the ol' Top.

 

[Reconvic]

I go to the VA on a monthly timeline and I see many WW2 vets there. I always try and talk with them I hold a very high respect for those that fought in the war there.

 

[armsmaster270]

My uncle was a Glider Pilot in Europe had 31 missions 3 of them glider landings He never really talked too much about it other than to malign the 30 carbine. Said first chance he lost or traded it for a garand.

 

[longtooth]

They certainly are the greatest. My Dad was in the Pacific too. Made Manilla bay & both the bad ones. Iwo & Okanawa. Hats off to all the men that kept us speaking English instead of German & Japanese.:flag:

 

[MTICop]

They are to be respected I feel to the Max. They sure earned it!

Abosolutely!!! Well said.