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About a week ago, the day after I went flying with a friend, I was bagging groceries for an elderly lady while talking about flying with the cashier. This lady then started telling us that she she hadn't flown for a long time but used to a lot. The then told us that she was a flight instructor during WW2 and wanted to be the next Amelia Earhart

I also see a LOT of veterans come through our grocery store. Today, I was bagging groceries for an elderly man who was wearing a hat that said '82nd Airborne' on it. I jumped at the chance and I found out that he was indeed in the 82nd Airborne Division during the Korean war!

Also, one of the girls I work with is married to a guy who works in the Forest Service and helped with the shuttle recovery a couple months ago

anyway, since I had nothing else to do at the moment, I thought I would share some of this with you guys

Btw, there used to be a former member of the original Blacksheep squadron who was a friend of my Grandfathers, but i'm not sure if he is still living in the area anymore or even if he is still alive. I would have loved to spend hours talking to him!

Sounds like the new job is rather interesting in some areas Andrew
Its always nice to speak to the old and the bold and hear living history, much more exciting than a book.
I love talking to some of my elders and hearing their tales of action, my great uncles in particular have a fund of hair raising and humourous episodes during WWII.

Ozzy

I have the perfect job for this topic. I work in a nursing home.  One of the ladies (she has passed away since) was a "Rosy the riviter" . She built B-17's, however she worked out of a Douglas aircraft factory. I was in doubt until I found out that during WW2, companies like Douglas did in fact subcontract to built  planes other than their own

Just be careful about meeting old people with war stories. Because sooner or later you'll get someone like my grandparents who will happily tell you there war  memorys from start to finish 5 times in a day!

Its not so bad the second time you hear it but when you've heard the same thing 20 times at least well... It gets slightly dull.

Posted by: ozzy72 Posted on: Today at 2:40am
Sounds like the new job is rather interesting in some areas Andrew  
Its always nice to speak to the old and the bold and hear living history, much more exciting than a book.  

Couldn't agree more Mark. If you ask these guys about anything, they will talk your ear off and it is so interesting to hear stories like these from the people who were there fought in these wars. Any time I see a veteran, (because they love to wear their hats), I always will say "thanks", and you can tell that they don't hear that often these days, especially from today's generation. They are the reason that we are free!. When you just say "Thanks", you can tell that you have made their day!
If anybody can engage in conversations with any vets, try it.......soon enough the only stories you will hear about those wars are the one's out of textbooks.
Like Mark said, "They are living history books".

Oh and Andrew,...glad to hear you are finding your new job interesting. I bet ya didn't think you would be talking "shop" while "bagging the broccoli"!! HAHAH

Dave  

You have to learn to keep them to specifics Woodlouse mate.  I work with the elderly like loomex, when you anyone a question, they don't have to be old, they will give you the answer to the question they thought you were going to ask.  You have to politely put them back on course.

I have learnt loads about WW2 from my patients.  One of them asked for me when he was readmitted so that he could tell me more about spitfires!

I think the most important thing about veterans is to remember that this information that they hold in their heads is slipping away fast.  I don't mean that they're all going senile but someone who was seventeen in 1939 is 80 in 2003.  If we don't ask them know what it was like to drive a tank through the Ardennes, in ten years time there will be very few left to ask.

Will

If we don't ask them know what it was like to drive a tank through the Ardennes, in ten years time there will be very few left to ask.

It's sad to hear how many of our heros are passing away daily

I love to hear war stories first hand. My mom works with a lady whos husband was a flighter pilot during Vietnam. His father was a PBY pilot during WW2. Once on a mission while flying over hundreds of miles of nothing but water, he saw something and when he flew over it, it happened to be a B-17 and crew that were floating in the water. He took a picture and called for rescue, and they were rescued within a few hours.

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw this picture.

Also, i've heard there's a WW2 veteran who lives down the street from me that loves to talk of nothing less. I've heard stories ov people who just happened to mention WW2 and couldn't get away for hours!

Andrew, is it possible to get the picture?

Dave

I doubt it's possible

a friend of my parents was a german pilot during WW2. he flew Fw-190's, even the Me-262 and shot down 13 airplanes...he died 2 years ago...

I had a woman in my office with her 88 year old father. He noticed my collection of Model airplanes and asked if I was a pilot. I told him that I wish I was,....but I am not...aviation is a "hobby' of mine. As his daughter was talking to me, I saw her elderly father look at me and he held up 4 fingers and was making these "weird" gestures that I could't quite make out behind his daughter's back. His daughter and I finished talking and she asked if she could use the bathroom, I then took the oppertunity to ask the elderly man what he was trying to say. He was saying that he shot down 4 of "the bastards" and looked so proud to be telling me. "Don't let my daughter know", he said with a chuckle!!

Dave  ;)

a friend of my parents was a german pilot during WW2. he flew Fw-190's, even the Me-262 and shot down 13 airplanes...he died 2 years ago...

I have met a few German gentleman of the right "Vintage" to hare been millitarily active during WW2.  Unfortunately none of them have been willing to discuss what they did.  I believe this may be due to a belief that they will be met with hostility in this country if they admit to fighting/flying.  I would love to talk to someone who flew for the Luftwaffe to get a more balanced view on the strengths of the various fighting aircraft.

Will

[quote]I had a woman in my office with her 88 year old father. He noticed my collection of Model airplanes and asked if I was a pilot. I told him that I wish I was,....but I am not...aviation is a "hobby' of mine. As his daughter was talking to me, I saw her elderly father look at me and he held up 4 fingers and was making these "weird" gestures that I could't quite make out behind his daughter's back. His daughter and I finished talking and she asked if she could use the bathroom, I then took the oppertunity to ask the elderly man what he was trying to say. He was saying that he shot down 4 of "the bastards" and looked so proud to be telling me. "Don't let my daughter know", he said with a chuckle!!

Dave

for all you youngsters, and the not so young, cherish the times you spend with the WWII vets. It is estimated that they are passing away at about 1000 a day world wide. (I believe this is the correct number quoted by Tom Hanks in his plea for donations for the WWII memorial).

I can proudly say that I had the honor of meeting a WW1 vet when I was about 12. He was a friend of my grandpa and the last surviving WW1 vet in area. That was almost 27 years ago. Not many in my age group and even fewer that are younger can say that.

Too right Loomex.  I vaguely remember my Grandfather, he died when I was 5, was born in 1899 and fought from 1915 through to the end.  He lied about his age to join the "West Kent Mounted Yeomanry" when he was sixteen and was transferred to the 6th Battalion, 3rd Regiment of Foot, "The Buffs".  

Will