My granddad passed away about 6 years back. Lost the hearing in one ear when a German 88 MM artillery shell (I believe) exploded nearby.
When I was 11,My grandfather took me to Europe and we spent alot of time at various areas that were battlefields in and around Bastogne. It was the late 70’s and some of the bomb craters were still visible.
Also, he showed me a hill where he commanded an anti-aircraft gun. He said that the German planes would fly in the valley and his crew would have to shoot down. They knew that they would be killing civilians but it was war and winning was the ticket home. I got a month long history lesson that I never forgot.
THE BEST vacation I ever had was that month in Europe.