Quote Originally Posted by tmckay2 View Post
my grandpa was the same way. was awarded a few medals including the bronze star for blowing up a machine gun next while his unit was pinned down (his lt. got the silver star, go figure), and he didn't pick up his medals until 20 years after the war when his family forced him to. he didn't talk about the war until the 90's and even then it was rare. i think when he was dying of cancer he felt he needed to tell us. my mom said on the farm for about 5 years after the war he would be on the tractor and have flashbacks to being in a mine field and being shot at.

i remember him saying he would check his fatigues after combat and have holes in the baggy parts. bullets had grazed him and he didn't even know it. the guy was tough as nails and highly decorated but not talking about the war showed me how bad it really was. he was a sniper for most of the war and had some very disturbing experiences.

greatest generation easily though. i don't think its any contest.
Yeah my Grandfather retired at 74 and was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrigs Disease) a couple years later. Died right before his 77th bday. My grandfather was pretty well decorated as well. Also recieving the Bronze star. Sad part is I would really like to know how he got it, but all the men he served with are gone now too.

He only talked about the war with me twice, and both times had to stop shortly after starting. Really tore him up to think about it.