[Steely Tom]

I was having lunch with my high-school band teacher in a Dunkin Donuts, and a very elderly man with a cane walked in with his wife. He was wearing a hat identifying him as a WWII vet.

We walked over and shook his hand. I was in awe of his age and bearing, and couldn't think of anything to say, but my teacher, who is in his mid-'70s, asked him "what theater were you in?" and he just said "CBI."

I had never heard of it, but I went on line and found out about the China-Burma-India theater. Fantastic.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

I had a similar experience in California a few years ago. I was in a local buffet style restaurant and noticed an older gentleman at another table wearing a red cap with the 82nd Airborne patch on the front.

I stopped and asked him if he had a minute to chat. He agreed so I asked him when he served. He had served in Europe during WWII and also said he was in the Battle of The Ardennes. I knew the history of that battle and he was very happy to talk about it. A fascinating guy.

I left him to his meal but before he left, I made sure I gave him a generous gift card for his future meals there. The manager said Ol' Joe was a regular.

[Sivad]

My 90 yr old pop passed in 2015. He was an 11thAB
paratrooper who fought on Leyte and Luzon against
the Japanese. He was shot in the head during the
liberation of Manila and spent the next 70 years with
a titanium plate in his skull. Between the GI Bill and
total disability from his wound we attended and
graduated from college in less than three years. After
farming he became an agriculture teacher and eventually
earned a PhD in Vocational education, retiring from
the California State Dept of Ed. He hunted, fished,
and built 3 homes in his spare time

He never minded people asking him about the war and was a
proud member of his regimental boxing team.