“You know, Danny,” Dad said, “I killed a lot of people in World War Two, but that guy, he was just trying to take a s**t and I simply murdered him. I’ll see his face until the day I die.”
Good on your Dad for his ability to empathize with the humanity of an enemy performing an ordinary human task at the time that he killed him. Notwithstanding that, and with respect to your father, he didn’t murder him. He did his duty by engaging the enemy as he had been trained to do.
I understand what he is saying, I often have the same sort of qualms about what I did in Vietnam. I guess that is one more of the mutitude of reasons why we have to honor people like your Dad.
Thanks Frank. Dad would have understood and thanked you if he was around today. He passed away very suddenly on July 8th, 1971. Way too early to go as he was only 52 when he died.
Not a day goes by that I don't miss him.
No regrets. I thank God for men like you and Bender’s dad.
No regrets.
Thank God you both came home alive.