What an experience.

Wife worked very late at the animal shelter where she volunteers, today, so we decided to go to a local coney island for a light/inexpensive dinner.

Part way through the meal, an elderly couple came in; the husband using a walker and it took a while for him to settle into the booth up near the front.

As soon as he came into the restaurant, I saw his hat and commented to my wife that someone very special was here.

He is a veteran of WW2 and Korea. I was awestruck. Immediately, I wanted to do something, to pay for their meal or whatever, but it was not to be.

When we were finishing up, I went to the register to pay and on the way back, as his wife was facing me, I asked if I may address them. She smiled

Thanked him for all that he had done and said what an honor he is for all of us. Although he was not moving quickly, he still had all his faculties and smiled and said thank you. His wife said what an honor he is for her and that he was turning 92 ! ! !

She beamed at me for stopping by and I was moved very much. My paternal grandfather fought in both world wars and my maternal grandfather, whom I never knew, was a rear admiral under Halsey, who was also my mother's godfather. It has taken time to really appreciate what this greatest generation has done for us. I sure hope we find a way to not let them down.

As we were leaving I got to smile goodbye to them and they both smiled, but his wife was really pleased.

Cannot express how moving it was to see one of these members of our greatest generation.

Had they not been just beginning their meal and had there been opportunity, it would have been such an experience to listen to what this gentleman had to say. Nevertheless, what a great experience.

They are soon to be departed treasures, what a nice gesture on your part! Thank you.

They truly are treasures. Wish I had been better prepared to say something and was honestly awestruck to see such a person.

It really would have been something to have the opportunity to listen to anything he had to say.

I've met and talked a bit with 2 WW2 Vets who come every weekend to walk a Flea Market I help at. Several who fought in Korea and many who fought in Viet Nam. I know I am surrounded by many who fought in and served in our recent wars. They are all special people to us. Just look around and be grateful.

quote:

Originally posted by downtownv:
They are soon to be departed treasures, what a nice gesture on your part! Thank you.

This. Every year there are fewer and fewer. These are the men that literally saved the world . Every single one deserves a tip of the cap and thank you.

quote:

Originally posted by Skins2881:
These are the men that literally saved the world .

Precisely

Some years ago in the fall of 2009 when I hadn’t been a Captain for too long, I did a flight from Harlingen to Houston. On the flight and first to board was an elderly Hispanic gentleman, probably close to 90 or a maybe even a little over. As he was somewhat frail and unsteady on his feet, he was being assisted in a wheelchair by who I would assume to be his daughter. He was wearing a baseball cap with WW2-Korea-Vietnam Veteran embroidery and a whole slew of hat pins. We were kind of busy setting up for our flight, so I didn’t have too much time to interact with him, other than to welcome him aboard while he was in the jetway and thank him for his service.

Upon our arrival into Houston, we were parked at what we call a “hard stand”; where they roll up stairs to the side of the aircraft and you have to walk down the stairs and then walk into the terminal. I asked the daughter if this was OK and that I would certainly help this wonderful man down the stairs; she said that would be fine. Everyone deplaned and it was my complete honor to slowly walk this great man down those stairs arm in arm one step at a time. I remember that it was a chilly morning, and his daughter had a blanket. As he settled in his wheelchair, I took extra care to tuck him in so that he would stay warm. I gave him the care that I would give a family member.

He got settled and he just smiled at the fuss I was making over him while his daughter was able to secure their carry-on bags. Just before they started to wheel off, I once again thanked him for his service, shook his hand, and told him what an honor it was to have him on my plane that morning. He just smiled, nodded, and patted my hand like a grandfather would. I stepped back, snapped a salute, and held it until he was well past. Yeah…I teared up, for some reason.

That is an awesome day. Thanks for what you did.

I spent a month every summer in my youth parked on a barstool at the American Legion hall next to my grandad. I met and got to know many men from that generation. I consider myself lucky to have spent those afternoons with those men.

That is fantastic!

I have a coworker who fought in Korea. I like to ask him really random questions in the break room like "Hey Dale - What was your first car?"

He lights up and I can see his mind go to work, filling with the memories.

I showed him a picture of my M1 Garand and he said something like "Really?? You have one?" with a big smile. "That what me and the boys used in Korea. How'd she shoot for you!" So I had to show him a video of me shooting it later.

I found out then that he was in the 213th Battalion. I bought a copy of the documentary in that link. It's an amazing story.

Awesome, your a class act as well for expressing all of our appreciation. There's s breakfast joint we eat at a lot called Bacons. I had the honor of secretly buying a Korean War Vet's breakfast one day. I felt it best to do it annonamously for some reason, not sure why now that I'm typing it out.

quote:

Originally posted by dry-fly:
Awesome, your a class act as well for expressing all of our appreciation. There's s breakfast joint we eat at a lot called Bacons. I had the honor of secretly buying a Korean War Vet's breakfast one day. I felt it best to do it annonamously for some reason, not sure why now that I'm typing it out.

Possibly because you realize it's about THEM.

I haven't had the chance yet, but I have a plan in place if the situation arises.

I met a Holocaust survivor a few years ago when I was doing a raptor program.

Her granddaughter came in to the store first, saw the owl and said she wanted to bring her great grandmother in to see Nigel.

I saw the crude number tattoed on her arm and asked her where she was liberated from. She told me she was in a children's work camp in Poland and when the Russians went in she stayed and became a school teacher until Poland was no longer communist and immigrated to America.

A friend of mine was in the Navy from 1931 until he retired as a Warrant Officer Hospital Corpsman (Medic) in 1956. He was one of the first male registered nurses and a physician's assistant.

He island hopped with the Marines in WWII and set up one of the first MASH units. He was in Korea.

I took him for coffee and donuts every week and spent time listening to his stories. His shellback certificate was signed by Commander Halsey. He knew Chesty Puller and Ernie Pyle. He died in 2010 at ninety-six. I miss him greatly.

Awesome.

Don't forget we have 'young vets' in our midst also who have sacrificed much combating terrorism in the modern age.

I was attending one of my kid's functions recently. Started making small talk with another Dad. Short haircut so I figured could be LE or military. He had that look. Turns out he had multiple combat deployments and had another one coming up.

God Bless them all!

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One of the great blessings of my life was to care for these gentlemen at a VA hospital; they appreciated my respect and I got to hear some great stories. One was a 101st Airborne vet who was still healthy enough (83 then) to go wolf hunting in Mongolia. I heard he asked about me after I finished my work there.

Around 1970, when I was 16, I went to St Joseph Missouri with a friend to visit his grandfather. He was a WWI vet who was gassed in the trenches and had lung damage.

My stepdad turns 92 shortly and was a Motor Machinist Mate 2nd Class on an LST in the Pacific. The last few years he's shared quite a few stories and also evidenced the true impact, (physically, emotionally, and psychologically) his service had upon him and his shipmates. They were truly the greatest generation.

A few years ago I worked for a guy mowing and landscaping. We mowed a small yard for an elderly couple and one day I saw him wearing a WW2 vet cap. I asked him about it and after a brief discussion found out he was wounded on the same day in the same battle as my grandfather. He showed me the same book with the patches and pics that I'd looked at hundreds of times at my grandfather's house. I shook his hand, thanked him and from that day and made extra effort to take care of them. Didn't matter what they asked, I made sure it was done and refused any extra money. They're both gone now. So glad I met them.

Kudo's sir.

Good on you for honoring that vet with such thoughtful feelings.