There are not many WWII vets still alive and walking.
This year, a friend, who was a bomber pilot stationed in the UK and flew 25 missions, died. He is the last of the WWII vets that my wife and I personally knew.
We have 2 friends, who served in Korea. One was a Navy Corpsman and the other was a young Marine private. They both were Frozen Chosen vets, and we worked for the same company.
At one of our corporate meetings, a female with the company, we worked for asked everyone if we had served and what branch.
These two had never discussed that hell hole, and they did after the young lady started the discussion. The Marine was possibly treated for the 2 wounds he got in that hell hold by his new old friend the former Navy Corpsman. They are 90 now or pushing 90. They have been the best of friends since that meeting.
Decades ago I worked security for a university. A lot of the younger campus cops were real hot-shots, Starsky and Hutch types.
And they were always teasing one of the older cops. I’ll call him Bill. Bill was a bit overweight. He didn’t say much. He just came in and did his job every day.
The younger guys were always riding Bill. “You’re in the wrong line of work, grandpa.” That sort of thing.
Well, one day Bill came into the station carrying a small briefcase. And without a word he opened up in front of us. The briefcase was full of medals and citations. Bill was an Army Ranger who had landed on D-Day.
Nobody teased Bill after that.