Every day, memories of World War II—its sights and sounds, its terrors and triumphs—disappear. Yielding to the inalterable process of aging, the men and women who fought and won the great conflict are now in their 90s or older. They are dying quickly—according to US Department of Veterans Affairs statistics, 240,329 of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II are alive in 2021.
WWII Veteran Statistics | The National WWII Museum | New Orleans
WW II Vets
Discussion in 'Vets and Friends' started by Salty, Nov 15, 2021.
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Additionally, many WWII Vets chose not to share their experiences, saying "they just did their job." All we have now is a collection of medals such as their purple heart or bronze star, but those who knew them and loved them will never forget...
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One of my mom's marriages was to a much older man that was a very young soldier in WW2. He had bad PTSD but it was not labeled that, even though his PTSD put the people around him in grave danger. He visited and took care of older veterans at no small sacrifice and despite really struggling with his own issues. He died by suicide and it was ... bad, very bad.
There are not many people my age that had a dad that was a WW2 vet and have so many stories to tell about that.
Yes, most of them are gone now. He was a dangerous and harsh man, but ... I also remember his vulnerable side and his loyalty and sacrifices to his elders. He also was the man that financially supported me for a few years, and I am grateful for the food and shelter that he provided for me. He is the man that allowed me to sometimes meet people that I never would have met otherwise, and that are part of who I am today.
May he rest in peace. And all his friends, even the one that whipped me across the back with a branch. Life is complicated. They knew that. I partially learned that from them.