re: Neat experience...met a WWII veteran at Sam's Club yesterday.

It's interesting to read about younger people being excited about meeting WWII veterans. Growing up, all of my friend's dads, as well as mine, fought in WWII. Most didn't talk much about their experiences. I'm sure some experienced things that they would just as soon not dwell on but most just felt like they served their country, won a war against evil, and then got on with their lives. They are called the Greatest Generation for a very good reason.
I had a business associate tell me an interesting story about his dad. The dad had always wanted to be a doctor growing up but his family was poor and education beyond high school was something he could not afford. He got a job at a factory in the Chicago area. A few months after graduation, the war broke out and the dad enlisted and served. When he was mustering out, someone mentioned a G I bill. My friend said his dad asked a simple question: " you mean I can go to college and it will be paid for?" Well, he went to college and then found out that if he would agree to work for the VA for several years after, they would pay for medical school as well. He graduated from medical school and met his obligation to the VA then went back to his hometown and was a well respected dermatologist for many years. My friend told me his dad told him a million times...if it hadn't been for WWII, he would have retired from a factory somewhere in the Chicago area.
God bless each and everyone of these great men. They created a great legacy and I just hope that future generations don't forget this and squander what these men, and women, sacrificed for.