Vet: Honor WWII survivors now, while they're alive

AP ^ | Sept. 2, 2011 | AUDREY McAVOY

[PROCON]

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (AP) - A Marine who fought in the Battle of Okinawa urged Americans on Friday to honor those who served in World War II now, while veterans from that conflict are still alive. E. Bruce Heilman, speaking at a ceremony marking the 66th year since the end of the war, noted fewer than 2 million of the 16 million men and women who served in the war are alive. They are dying at a rate of 30,000 per month, he said.

[PROCON]

They are dying at a rate of 30,000 per month, he said.

Too sad, my dad, gone since 1988 was among them, I miss him dearly.

I served in Vietnam and proud of it!...just saying...Thank you Vets!

[DeoVindiceSicSemperTyrannis]

Thank you vets! And thanks Procon! :-)

[Inyo-Mono]

Too sad, my dad, gone since 1988 was among them, I miss him dearly.

Ditto. My Dad died in 1988 too. Army Air Corps - Pacific Theater.

[DeoVindiceSicSemperTyrannis]

Thank You Vets!

[PROCON]

Ditto. My Dad died in 1988 too. Army Air Corps - Pacific Theater.

THE GREATEST GENERATION...

[Inyo-Mono]

Yes, they are. I thank I every vet I meet: WWII, Korea, Viet Nam and beyond. And I thank you for your service too PROCON!

[BuffaloJack]

Veterans of WW2 and others, if they’re around need to be honored.
My dad served aboard USS Heermann at the Battle of Leyte Gulf. He died 36 years ago. Both grandfathers were veterans also, one was WW1 and the other was Spanish American War. Back in the 1950s, I even remember speaking with a great uncle who was over 100 years old at the time. He’d served under General Lee in the Army of Northern Virginia. I remember listening to a first hand account of the Battle of Cold Harbor from him.

[PROCON]

Ping!

[DeoVindiceSicSemperTyrannis]

Wow...cool.

[PROCON]

Veterans of WW2 and others, if they’re around need to be honored.

Wow,sounds like you had your fair share of greatness in your family!

Too cool, thanks for sharing!

[DeoVindiceSicSemperTyrannis]

I know a WWII vet who helped liberate some of the concentration camps in Europe... You can tell that what he saw there still affects him, especially regarding the children...

[unkus]

My Dad, now gone, was Army in China-Burma-India. Aboard the USS Missouri for the Japanese surrender.

God bless tham all.

[unkus]

That’s amazing. Too bad you didn’t have a recorder for your civil war great uncle.

[PROCON]

My Dad, now gone, was Army in China-Burma-India. Aboard the USS Missouri for the Japanese surrender.

God bless tham all.

Our Dad's rocked, what a generation they were!

I hope America can once again rise to our Father's greatness!

[Eeyore4651]

Too sad, my dad, gone since 1988 was among them, I miss him dearly.

My dad too. He fought in the Pacific. He died 94 days ago. Thank you for your service.

[PROCON]

My dad too. He fought in the Pacific. He died 94 days ago.

God Bless you, I know it's tough!

Just remember, you're Dad was a Hero!

[Eeyore4651]

It is tough. We were so close my entire life. There is no way that I could have had a better dad. And I had him for 57 years. Like you, I miss him dearly. Thanks for the kind words.

[PROCON]

Ping!

[BIGLOOK]

My Dad was career Navy, enlisted in 1939 and split his time between the Atlantic escorts and later the Pacific in WWII. He’s been gone ten years now but during his last years he did what old Navy Goats do so well, sipping black coffee and swapping sea tales with a locker full of old salts as a volunteer aboard the USS Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in NYC when it opened.

[beaversmom]

WWII ping