It's been 65 years, and there are far too few veteran's left to honor, but thanks to movie footage back then and recent movies like Saving Private Ryan, the world will never forget their sacrifices on those bloody beaches.
Well, give them their due. While I salute the Vietnam vets(I wish I'd been there, but would probably come home in a body bag) and the more recent Middle east and Afghan wars vets, the World War II vets didn't have an "end date." I still remember the cartoon and the words, "Don't shoot me, I'm short!" If I can, I'll try and reproduce it for you.
If they made it through Normandy, Sicily, etc., then they just got shipped off to the Pacific to fight the Japanese. Jesus!
My personal heroes were my friend B___'s parents. His dad, Bud, (or Ernie, as I knew him) was decorated because he had his back broken in his tank at the Battle of the Bulge. His mother was a marine. They somehow met and married.
And, believe me, their boys made their beds with the corners squared, by God!
But, I never heard one story about the war from him other than the egg story. He told me once that they came upon a deserted French farm in their tanks and stopped for a bit. He found four or five eggs, hatched from some chickens. So, they poured motor oil on top of the hot tank plates and fried them up. (Think about that for a bit).
He said it was the best tasting eggs he ever had...
The so-called "greatest generation"!
ReplyDeleteWell, give them their due. While I salute the Vietnam vets(I wish I'd been there, but would probably come home in a body bag) and the more recent Middle east and Afghan wars vets, the World War II vets didn't have an "end date." I still remember the cartoon and the words, "Don't shoot me, I'm short!" If I can, I'll try and reproduce it for you.
ReplyDeleteIf they made it through Normandy, Sicily, etc., then they just got shipped off to the Pacific to fight the Japanese. Jesus!
My personal heroes were my friend B___'s parents. His dad, Bud, (or Ernie, as I knew him) was decorated because he had his back broken in his tank at the Battle of the Bulge. His mother was a marine. They somehow met and married.
And, believe me, their boys made their beds with the corners squared, by God!
But, I never heard one story about the war from him other than the egg story. He told me once that they came upon a deserted French farm in their tanks and stopped for a bit. He found four or five eggs, hatched from some chickens. So, they poured motor oil on top of the hot tank plates and fried them up. (Think about that for a bit).
He said it was the best tasting eggs he ever had...
So, yeah, the greatest generation...