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

The four generation photo would be priceless.

I have a son who is in the Marines, and his wife is expecting a son.

I hope to have a four generation photo.

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It was an amazing and emotional day because he never really talked about the war until that day.

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I believe it. My grandfather was a WWII vet. My dad was under the impression that he went to the Philippines but never saw combat. He never told any war stories to my father since he "never saw combat." In reality, he was blowing Japanese out of caves and other things and saw a ton of action. My dad didn't get the whole story until he was 45.

Those dudes are awesome. My grandfather served in the 5th marine division and fought in many of the great battles of the Pacific. Had a mortar shell land in his foxhole on Iwo Jima and blew his leg off. One of his men carried him off the beach hero style and he was shot 3 more times. After almost a year in military hospitals he came home to lead a very productive life with no complaints.

He was a Badass.

My Dad's unit held a reunion every so often and the gentlemen would get together and catch up with each others lives. The number began to shrink steadily until the few that were left were unable to travel bringing the reunions to an end. It was with great sadness that we had to inform the last of the many, that my Dad had gone to meet with the others that had gone before them. He was number 8 of those that were left.

Semper Fi Dad

My dad was WWII and served in North Africa and Sicily. Then Korea and Vietnam, although he was stationed in D.C. for those.

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.

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My dad is a vet of WWII, Korea and Vietnam. Flew Nimitz back from the Japanese surrender. Flew every kind of Marine plane and helicopter you can think of. He's 91 and still plays golf regularly.

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That's a god damned vampire. Gonna have to cut his head off to kill him.

Tom Brokaw's book The Greatest Generation brought me to tears ... also, I work in a nursing home and they make a big deal out of Veteran's Day which I think is awesome. Many of them are too old to I think hear much of what's going on but I'm guessing that the VETERAN balloons get the point across. Some like to talk about it and others don't .. the ones that do do NOT make a big deal out of anything. Nor did my grandfather the one time we interviewed him for a school project.

I'm still fortunate to visit, and speak with a WWII vet every time I see my dad. Can't tell you how happy we are to still have him with us.

Scattered my Dad's ashes at sea yesterday; he died in May at age 92. Served in WW II as a junior officer aboard the U.S.S. McCracken (APA 198), a Haskell-class attack/escort ship.