My WWII Vet

If you've read any of my blog or joined a few of my weekly cam shows, you probably know I love history but more specifically anything about World War II. A couple weeks ago we learned that one of our friends takes care of a 93 year old veteran and his wife. Fortunately, Bob is still very sharp and loves talking about his WWII experiences, as long as he has people interested in hearing his stories. He's not only sharp as a tack, but feisty as hell. He wears a WWII Veterans hat ONLY because his wife, of 1 year, makes him. She told him a long time ago that he needs to wear it so people know that he fought for his country. He looked at me and shrugged his shoulders and said, "so, I wear the damned cap now". I responded, "you have earned that right and the respect that comes along with it." He was in the second wave of soldiers to land on Omaha Beach on D-Day. The harsh fighting was over with, for the time being, but he was in charge of gathering intelligence and keeping his Division up to date on enemy movement. He was shot three times during the war, twice being put back into active duty. The last time, however, wounded him too severely for him to continue the fight. The conversation over lunch moved from the war to his life when he returned home, back to the war and then onto his new bride and back to his late wife. From there he went to talk about stealing k-rations and drinking cognac with his buddies and then on to how he met his current wife. They love to say they're newlyweds. She's almost 20 years younger and they cuss and laugh like you wouldn't believe. She first used "AH" (for asshole) and "a you know what" (for bitch) when Devil said, "go ahead, say bitch. You'll feel better". Her eyes got wide and as she looked at me she said, "she really was a BITCH!" The entire table started laughing and she said, "I like to cuss!" They've known each other for 40 years and I think it's so precious that they have each other to care for and to reminisce  of what life used to be like. I think they keep one another sharp and she keeps him sharing WWII with our generations. As our generations get younger the greatest generation dies and it's sad to think that one day most people won't know anything about D-Day or the Bataan Death March. We'll be lucky if they remember Pearl Harbor. That, to me, is heart breaking. I have to say the same for our current war. History repeats itself. By the time our generations come and go this, too, will be forgotten. When I see a soldier in uniform or with a cap that says "Veteran" I want to shake his hand and give him a hug. I want to thank him for his service and let him know that I care. I care enough to take time out of my busy life to listen and to show my appreciation for what they gave up. Because of what they gave up, I'm able to share my life online. So, if you're a soldier and you're reading this, THANK YOU. If you're a family member who has soldiers you call Dad, Uncle, Brother, Aunt and Mom, THANK YOU.