So, who paid respects today (yesterday)?
I have a grandad and a great-grandad who fought in WWII that I couldn't visit today because they are buried 1600 miles away, but I thought about them and the stories they told me when I was a kid.
(Warning: long, personal story to follow)
Back in the day, during WWII, my grandfather faked his age to get into the English army (he was English, my grandmother was Irish) to fight the Germans. He was only 17 but got in and was a machine gunner on top of a tank. He was shot in the upper arm. When he was wounded, they totally f-ed up the setting for his arm in the field. I remember seeing his upper arm at a weird angle when I was a kid.
Anyway, the English army told him he could not re-enlist due to his injury. So he and his wife (my grandmother) decided to sail to Australia so he could enlist there, to further fight the bastard Germans. His focus was fighting those bastards, nothing else.
Two weeks before sailing to Australia, my great grandfather died. My grandparents stayed behind for the funeral, etc., then for whatever reason decided to come to America instead.
For the same reason (the mangled arm) the US wouldn't let my grandfather enlist and he was devastated. I clearly remember my grandfather saying things about Germans that I would never repeat here. And if he knew his grandson (me) married an Asian woman he'd probably pop two in my chest! He was an old school "Gran Torino" type of guy for sure. ALL he wanted to do was fight the damn Germans.
If it wasn't for my great-grandad dying at that time, I wouldn't even be here. I have to thank him for that. I guess.
When I was young (maybe 12 or so) I remember that my grandparents house burned to the ground. Later (years later) my dad told me that the only thing my grandfather missed was his pictures from WWII and those of his family. He also lost a bunch of medals, etc.
I never knew until after my grandfather was dead that he had a list of medals, ribbons,etc., that were all lost in the fire of their house. He never once mentioned them to me that he was given a medal. And he got them all before before he was even 20 yo. Amazing.
My dad told me that he didn't like to talk about them, even with him, so it was a personal thing with him I guess.
My grandfather was the the definition of a hero to me. I only wish I knew enough to tell him that when he was still here.
Here's one for you grandpa! http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/...aehrung004.gif
