[SamAdams76]

When I was growing up in the 1970s, there were millions of World War 2 vets still alive, raising families and in the prime of life. I remember parades in my home town in which column after column of WW2 vets would march by.

They are pretty much gone now. The average age of a U.S. soldier in 1944 was 26. That would make them 104 today. Even if you stormed the beaches at age 18, you would be 96 today.

A few are still around but we are rapidly reaching the point where there will be no more living WW2 veterans.

[Scarlett156]

I have hope for the future, but let’s face it: That kind of bravery and sense of duty is seldom found anywhere these days.

[Jolla]

I recall seeing those army patches at garage sales in the neighborhood all the time back in the 60s. One of the nicest guys at our church had been through Iwo Jima.

[oh8eleven]

When I was growing up in the 1970s, there were millions of World War 2 vets ...

When I was growing up in the 1950s, there were millions of World War II vets - including my father (USMC), my mother (USN) and my future FIL (USA).
Both my father and FIL saw combat, but never said a word to me about it - and I was a VN combat vet myself.
All are long gone now and I miss them every day.