I just happened to be taking the late train to work yesterday, and I sat next to a man who had a hat that said "US Navy Veteran". He looked like he could be from the Korean Conflict or possibly World War II. He said he was in World War II. I told him my father was in the Battle of the Bulge and D Day plus 1. He replied, "there aren't too many left." He said he needed to sleep but the train was going too fast. And he offered me his paper to read. I sat there and read wondering about the war and the great sacrifice given by all who served. One time, in a restaurant, someone came up to my father and thanked him for serving. There were other times when other veterans would stop and talk to my father about where he served etc.
My father talks about the war often. And watches shows on TV about it. Most veterans fall into two categories. They either talk about it often or not at all.
I had a friend whose father fought in a battle in the Pacific during World War II. My friend, who was a history major in college researched this battle. Now from what I understand, his father never talked about the war at all. All my friend said was, "you had a hard time digging in?" He said that his father totally broke down crying. So whenever I see a veteran, I'm more likely to think about what they went through. Many children today know nothing about World War II or Korea or Vietnam for that matter. And if they do, it's put in a negative light.
As I was leaving the train, I shook the man's hand and said, "thanks for serving." He said, "stay healthy."
Maybe Tom Brokaw got it right when he called them "The Greatest Generation."
