Stopped to pick up some milk on the way home today and while in the store I saw an elderly couple, the gentleman wearing a "WWII Veteran" cap.

I said excuse me sir and asked to shake his hand and thanked him for his service. We talked a little, I told him my father was a WWII Navy vet and my eldest son a US Marine. He told me he spent 30 years in the Navy, had swim call in the middle of the Pacific and the middle of the Atlantic. Then he said just after WWII he crossed the 180 meridian on Christmas day and had 2 Christmases.

He said he always encouraged people to join the Navy, and he leaned in and said "They have girls on the ships now!" To this his wife said "Okay that's enough of that" and we laughed. She says "We will be married 70 years in May and him talking like that".

I love old people, I always have. I always wanted to hang out with the elderly men growing up because they had such fascinating stories. That's the one thing I hate about growing old myself, there are fewer and fewer who are older than me to pass on those stories of times I don't remember. I sure do dread the day when those "WWII Veteran" caps disappear completely from public places, they're already very rare.

S! To That man and too few left,,If I see a person with something showing they are a vet I always strike up a conversation

Oh Hell yeah, never miss a chance to talk to these guys.
Years ago we were at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. I'm looking at the P-51 Mustang and this old guy and his wife were there, too.
"Beautiful airplane, isn't it?" I say to him.
"It certainly is," he answers. "And nice to fly, too."
"You've flown them?"
"Yes," he says almost matter of factly. "I was with the Fourth Fighter Group."
"The Debden Eagles?" I exclaim, eager to show off my knowledge.
Well, he goes on to tell me stories. And believe it or not, this guy wound up in a P.O.W. camp after he went head to head with an FW190 and collided with it! Ripped his right wing off and he jumped. Spent the last few months of the war as a quest of the Luftwaffe.
I was talking to a guy who survived a head on collision with a Focke Wulf 190! I was looking straight into the eyes of a man who actually did this. All the reading you can do about it will never equal the impact of something like that. It really just makes it all real
I'm sorry, too, that soon they will all be gone.

Great stories F4Dash4 and Pooch. Thanks for sharing.

Great stories indeed! As far as I know, I don't have any ancestors who served in any war. At least not for 3 or 4 generations.

Four years ago or so, I got to talk to Per Waaler, the last surviving (now deceased) member of the Norwegian Army Air Force, who took on the invading Germans over Oslo on April 9 1940. He and four others flew Gloster Gladiators against the hundreds of German planes. Five biplanes against the most modern air force in the world at that time! He later escaped to Canada and instructed other Norwegian pilots at Little Norway in Toronto, before transferring to Halifaxes because he wanted to get back at the Germans in a more direct way. On his first mission to Berlin he was shot down, and spent the rest of the war in Stalag Luft III. We were standing in front of a Ju-88 being restored at at aviation museum just outside Oslo, and he pointed at it and said "I was shot down by one of those, you know." Powerful stuff.

I wonder if people saying "Thank you for your service" is just a trend or something that will become the normal thing to say to a vet. It's a phrase that's only really become popular over the last several years. Ten years ago if you ran into a vet, you'd say "cool, tell me about whatever.." But seems to be the trendy thing to say now, which is nice because these soldiers deserve the thanks.

Wow, thanks for sharing that wonderful story semmern.

The VP of my company passed away about 2 years ago at 92. He was a bombardier in the B-17 in the 303rd Bomb Group, 8th Air Force. He was involved in some pretty big bombing missions, I think Bremen and/or Dresden. Survived 25+ missions. I talked to him about his experiences but took it too much for granted that he'd be around to tell the tales so although I did get alot of stories from him, I wish I asked him for more. One of my favorite stories was when he first saw an Me-262. They were pretty shocked to see a plane flying without a propeller. But he said it didn't matter, the P-51s would swoop down and take them down anyway.

He also mentioned to me that they found out later that the P-51 could carry the same payload by weight that the B-17 could, and they could have used P-51s for bombing...but the P-51's range was way less this way.

Interesting.

v6,
boNes

bones, do you know of this link, http://www.303rdbg.com/

Vets tell some amazing stories, be sure.

Dad was based at General Recon School 1 Summerside PEI for a time. They would fly boring training missions out over the Gulf of St Lawrence. He was the RO but sometimes would pilot the a/c. The ROs got rudimentary flying lessons and some even progressing enough that they would take off the a/c. These came to a screeching halt when a bird strike caused an Anson to crash (no fatalities).

Yes, I know of that link, thanks. I actually updated them with Ed's passing a few years ago. They said he did pretty well, that only 8-10% of WWII vets make it to that age. One of his missions is in their AAR. There wasn't anything too specific like the callsign of his aircraft, but the AF No of the aircraft and his crew is listed in one mission. You can find it under combat mission 215, 31 July 1044, targeting the Aero Engine Werks in Munchen. He was in aircraft #42-97592 as the bombardier.

Some of you may know this better than me but he said there was some mission where you basically got an aircraft that was full of explosives and you had to fly it across the English Channel and at some point, you armed the ordnance, then bailed out and let it crash into the target in France before they went off. I guess JFK's brother died doing a mission of this type. Ed had to do this mission, and he did it successfully, but he never wanted to do it ever again.

Pretty cool that your dad got to fly even if he was the RO.

v6,
boNes

I read some of that mission 215 combat report. If I am reading it correctly his aircraft was the lead plane for the entire group that mission.


Wheels

I don't recall the details but I I wish I knew about this mission when he was still with us so that I could ask him about it. I know that on one mission they were shot up and were coming in to land and the pilot ordered everyone to bail out on final approach because they didn't think they were going to make it. Ed was 2nd to last to jump--the guy after him ended up jumping and hitting the barracks and died.

Another story was how while en route somewhere a piece of ice and broken off the aircraft, came into the cabin and hit him on the head. They were going to give him a Purple Heart for it but he refused it saying that it wasn't a wound from combat although they were in a combat zone so he wouldn't take it knowing men who got PHs were really wounded in combat. He laughed it off saying that he was hit by a UFO--Unidentified Frozen Object.

v6,
boNes

My day was made again early this morning.

After checking out the local flea market my wife and I went breakfast at the Waffle House. Sat down beside a 94 year old (could have passed for 80 easily) man wearing a US Navy WWII cap. I spoke to him, shook his hand and thanked him for his service and we talked a bit. He still drives locally, bowls twice a week. Served aboard USS O'Neil (DE-188). Escorted convoys across Atlantic 4 times then transferred to Pacific. He didn't mention this but I looked up her record and she was hit by a kamikaze off Okinawa and 2 men were killed. I asked where he was at wars end and he said Galveston TX readying to commision a new ship, so apprently he was transferred off when O'Neil returned to the states for repairs after the kamikaze hit.

He was real sharp, nice guy. He teared up mentioning that his wife had passed almost 2 years ago.

I secretly told the waitress to bring me his bill but when we were ready to leave she hadn't brought it and I asked again and she said someone else got it. He had told me he eats there all the time and I bet he rarely pays for a meal!

If I live to see the day I think I will cry like a baby when the last WWII vet goes west.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_O%27Neill

http://www.navsource.org/archives/06/188.htm

That's a wonderful story F4U!

Thanks for sharing all of these great and often difficult stories of that great generation and of those precious members who are still with us that you meet.

I've got a few like that. Like you all, if the moment feels right, I like to approach and thank these folks. Ten or more years ago I was standing in line at the local library to get my taxes done for free. Its always put on for anyone by the AARP but its focus is providing the assistance to the elderly. Often time the agents doing the work voluntarily are retired and elderly.(I have such admiration for all of these people with a servant's heart) I wish I could remember the man's name and more precise details but I stood in line next to a gentleman with one of those WW2 caps. As always, I normally just keep to myself. I tend to be introverted and quiet but I do enjoy talking one on one with a person. Other than the social niceties talking with the person to my left and right in line I just quietly waited my turn. However, I wanted to talk to him and ask him questions because of his hat. He was another one of those guys with an amazing story. First of all I remember him making the comment that after Pearl Harbor the lines to join up to the services were much longer than the line we were in and at that time no one complained about being in a line. I think he picked up on the basic human discomfort and grumblings that often accompany a growing line like this that's open to the public. He went on to say he was a pilot and flew if I'm not mistaken, B-24 Liberators.(That or B-17s but my memory fails me right now) It turns out he was stationed in Italy and he made that comment too that though it was unusual and apparently not common or permitted, he had a brother also stationed in Italy serving. He went on to share that He and his crew were shot down and he told me this story of how the local peoples of where he went down protected this American serviceman and helped him move around from place to place to avoid the Germans until the war ended. If memory serves he may have been captured first but then got away and went into hiding with the help of the locals.

A long time friend of my grandparents who are no longer with us was a rancher. He grew up on a ranch in Montana and continued to ranch much of his life. He was one of those guys who happened to have engineer type smarts and did a lot of things. Anyhow he flew B-24s in WW2. He was also a bombardier. I remember being told the complexities of the targeting devices. One year in the late 90s, early 2000s my grandmother and I were at the Tico Airshow and it was the first time they had visiting a fully restored and flying B-24 Liberator and B-17 Flying Fortress. My grandmother told me she told her friend Lynn what we had seen and he told her "those are Cadillacs compared to what we flew" apparently alluding to fuel leaks and all manners of different issues, parts and materials.

We also had a local family doctor, Dr. Allan, for many years who was a pilot in WW2 and served in the medical practices well into his 70s and maybe longer. As a kid I liked going into his office because its one of those building built in the late 50s, early 60s and still looked like that in the 80s and beyond. I recall him having a model Liberator I believe hanging from his ceiling.

My grandfather served in the Navy for several years. This was at the tail end of WW2 and he was never sent over seas, just around the country. Among other things, he was part of an Grumman Avenger crew. Someone can correct me as I'm uncertain of the exact nomenclature but he flew in the TBM-E and F if that's a thing? Maybe it was the TBM or simply the TBF. I'd have to pull out some pictures and study a bit to figure it out. He was a radio officer and gunner. He told me some great stories and interesting ones. As someone already alluded to, he was also one of those guys who got to fly the airplane on training missions "unofficially" save for the take off and landings but everything else in between including way point maneuvers. There was one thing that he recalled that they used to do that he lamented about. While stationed in California while on training missions (It sounds like it was a common practice and occurrence among the flyers) they'd target practice on sea turtles. If I understand correctly he loved being on an aircrew and traveling and those aspects of the Navy. My grandmother told me once that sometimes he and others would have to perform MP duties and apparently he detested having to do that. Somewhere around here we have some of his original shore leave passes which I thought were really cool as I'd not seen them before. We also still have his sea chest. Its been out in our shed for decades and its still in good shape, you can still see the markings and the latches work. There's nothing in it so I'm not sure of what he kept in it all those years ago. I absolutely love how even seemingly as late as WW2 that a Navy man's sea chest were still big, wooden boxes. If anyone is interested I could post some pictures of my grandfather not only in uniform but in a crew photo and some of his other photos that he took himself of his Avengers and while in flight! I'm so thankful to have the very photos that he took himself while in the Navy. He had an older brother who actually did serve over seas and serve in combat as a Marine in the Pacific who did survive and make it home.

I worked for a time with a man at Walmart who had quite the Navy career. He was one of those 30 year lifers. His name is William(to be honest that was years ago and I don't know if he's still alive). He had kind of a hard, crusty personality that took time for me to understand. We got along though and I told him of my grandfather and made it a point to express my appreciation to him of his service. He just missed WW2 but went into the Navy in the late 40s. As a 19 year old "kid", actually young man, he had a bad crash in 1949. He was actually piloting a Grumman Avenger and had a crash landing on a carrier. Apparently it slid across the deck upside down and stopped just short of going overboard. He could looked up and was staring into the ocean. That accident broke his back. I forget what happened to the rest of his crew. Yet he still went on to serve! You guys would have loved to listen to his stories as because of his long career, he flew many, many different kinds of aircraft. Apparently he was not only a pilot but a sort of crew chief of the flight crews so he had many other specialties that he was responsible for and could do. He served in the Korean War and Vietnam. I wish I could remember what he did in those conflicts. One thing in particular that I do remember is that he flew P-2V Neptunes! I'm pretty sure he was flying that in a combat capacity. So he very well may have hunted subs. He did tell me about this high intensity spot lamp the aircraft had in the wing that when turned on would light up the whole cockpit cabin. I wish I could remember more. Its wonderful asking these men to share their memories because it serves and honors them, often taking years off their faces and dispositions and it allows one to see into a time and world that truly are unique and will not be seen again and reminds you of all of those out there who are doing strange and great and wonderful things on behalf of a nation to keep is strong and to keep it safe. I remember being out in the garden center working and I hear this "Jonah! Front and center." Type of statement. I went over to him and he showed me a picture I'd been asking for. Later he would give me a post card photo of a P-2V Neptune and he signed it for me. If you all like I'll post a picture of it as well. He also showed me an awesome scrap book late at night at around 10pm when we just had an hour of work left and everything was closed so I could take time to look at them. He had all kinds of pictures showing his and his buddies' escapades visiting Morocco in the 1950's and even a beautiful picture from the same time that he took from within an aircraft of the Straights of Gibraltar.

I met another man, a customer when I worked in a tire shop. His name was Leonard and he was a sweet guy. I think he was approaching 90 and he always wore his red, WW2 Marine cap. I did not ask him too much as its not always appropriate timing especially being at work and all. I met and talked with quite a few other WW2 and Korea vets and Vietnam vets too. I met a man at the same job who was in a scooter with his wife who also had a WW2 cap. I got to talk to him and he was very interesting. He pulled from his bag a small but thick photo book with pictures he took while serving in WW2. I can't remember if he was Navy or Marines but he had some outstanding, significant photographs. I remember seeing one of his photos and showing it to the girl who worked their in are department who's ten years younger but a girl who once dressed up as Rosie the Riveter and also who was in more of a classy photo shoot and told her "now here's the original pin up girls." The photo was in a tent or something and must have had a hundred or more pictures of classic, 1940s babes all over the place. These photos by the way were all on some Pacific island somewhere. There were other photos too of the kind of work he did moving aircraft about and even pontoon bridges being put down I believe. The picture that most sticks with me is the one where he told me "You want to see what we called a good Japanese?" or something to that effect. He opened up to a photo that I had to kind of do a double take because I didn't know what I was looking at and it turned out it was a Marine or Navy man in shorts or relaxed attire holding the severed head of a Japanese soldier. Wow. I've always enjoyed listening to people's stories especially my elders and those of my grandparent's generation as I love and admire them greatly.

I remember having another customer who was always quite unpleasant and I did not much like dealing with him when he came in but I was always taught and have found that many times it does indeed help and work to just talk to people and ask things about them and what they like and so on and often times that helps to alleviate the initial discomfort and barriers. This gentleman had a very mangled, disfigured wrist and hand. I talked with him on a couple of occasions and he was a Vietnam Vet. I did not ask him about his injury so I don't know if it was from the war but I think that it probably was. He was interesting because he came in looking for tires and I told him what we had available and I believe Michelin were on sale. He was quite gruff and explained to me that he would never, ever give money to Michelin as back in the day, Michelin had gum tree plants in Vietnam and while U.S. soldiers were not permitted to operate in the area, the enemy was free to set up on their property and would often engage our troops basically from Michelin's front porch and our guys were forbidden to go in there after them. So he lost buddies to situations like this and I don't blame him one bit. That experience would sour me forever to a corporation too. I met another customer who was shot in Vietnam who confirmed this scenario. I later bought some Chevy rims from this man when he came in one night to put tires on a vehicle he had just bought for his wife. There's another man who I became acquainted with there at that job as he was a trucker who had his own business and did work for the Sams Club I was at. Usually he'd always show up to hitch or unhitch a semi trailer right behind where I would eat lunch in my vehicle. He was a nice guy. I'd be on my lunch break or heading home depending and I'd watch him do his thing, hitching or unhitching and I would talk with him sometimes. I found out he was a Vietnam vet too. I thanked him for his service and he kindly said something like you're welcome or "well thank you." I won't forget his face and the distant look in his eyes when he sad something like I was a young man or kid then and that seems like such a long ago.

I can't not mention my maternal grandfather who's also been gone now fifteen, sixteen years. He served in the Korean War and was in the Army for a few years. I'd always hear certain stories but not much. Finally when I guess he felt I was old enough and he was ready he told me some of his stories and he did it on a 4th of July picnic celebration we had at our house. I listened and asked questions. I also remember being only sixteen or so and understandably excited as a kid to get to the fire works. Anyhow he told me some of his duties included triangulation of enemy positions. He's a man who I think even before the war and afterwards worked at a proving grounds in Kentucky. He would later work for Redstone and then NASA so he is half the reason why I'm a Floridian. He was also a hunter his whole life from being a ten year old kid in the depression walking through downtown with a shotgun over his shoulder to the time of his death which happened on a hunting trip. I wish I could remember as that was twenty years ago but I believe he would go up in light observation aircraft probably such as an L-19 Birddog. I'm kind of guessing but I know they were light observing aircraft platforms. He also mentioned that they would triangulate with sound that enemy artillery would emit. He also said that he would call in fire missions. I remember specifically he mentioned F-86 Sabres and as a 16 year old kid I got excited and said I've seen one of those at the airshow! He kind of grinned and then said to me "Well you didn't see them do what I saw them do." He was also stationed just five miles south of the 38th Parallel. Before this talk with him there was always this shady story my mother and others would mention of a bad experience he had there. They didn't quite know the details themselves and he never told me anything about it but I believe it must have been a serious near-death type of experience. He also told me of one night in particular where everyone was bunked down for the night at camp and up on the surrounding hills around the camp were soldiers posted on guard duty. Apparently an accident of some sort occured that if memory serves, it was an accidental discharge of a weapons by a guard or one of our own and they thought they were under attack. However in the confusion the soldiers started shooting down into the camp making everyone head for cover! Maybe I'll post some pictures if people want if this thread gets stickied or preserved some how. I remember years ago suggesting sort of days and people of yesteryear type of thread for people to post stories and pictures of family and friends or other people.

I wish my memory was better. I appreciate when you all share these stories because I truly admire and love that great generation as well as all of the peoples for that matter who have served, those gone and those still with us. I have deep respect for them and always will. I hope that sharing about these individuals we meet or know and the retelling of their stories and their personal history brings them respect and honor and that it may be a small way for us to say thank you to them.

Good stuff Coot, thanks!!

This afternoon I took my wife to the hospital to have a simply procedure. As we were walking down a hall we met a nurse pushing a gentleman in a wheelchair. He was wearing an "Americal Division WWII" cap. Of course I had to stop him, shake his hand and thank him.

Today was a good day.

Oh, speaking of veterans working into old age we have a local lawyer who was, I believe, a B-29 Navigator in WWII. Still practicing: http://www.robinsonlawfirmpa.com/attorneys.html

Another place to check out

http://www.heroesofthesecondworldwar.org/

The YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRikw4uCjS8ck3O9Mj-N35Q/videos

Thanks for the links. I'm thankful that someone is doing that. I think some department of the Fed should be doing a project like this with all its means as a show of gratitude, for posterity and for historical record. It would actually probably be far better if the Fed not do this kind of thing and instead hired a company with the correct heart and vision who could do a better job.

I agree ,,Great links...I read a lot but it's better if I hear it in their own words.....