Story leads to memories

By Staff
Jonathan Willis
Over the past couple of days I have been working on an upcoming story that centers on World War II veterans.
Though I was born 35 years after that epic war ended, it is still something that amazes me.
The men and women of that period helped change the world forever. Even those who never served in the military were left here in the United States to make items to help in the war effort.
Perhaps no group of people has ever been so aptly named than when Tom Brokaw called them the Greatest Generation.
While working on this upcoming story, I was blown away to learn that 1,200 World War II veterans die each day. That is a staggering number.
With each one that passes away, we lose a hero and a part of our nation's history. The stories these men have shared with us, in one way or another, is something we should all hold dear.
My grandfather, who served during the Battle of the Bulge, died about three weeks after the national World War II memorial opened in 2004. I wish he had been able to visit there just once.
My dad has often said that Granddaddy hardly ever spoke to him or his brothers about his military days.
But, he would sit and talk to me about them for hours at a time.
I am so glad he did. I know his stories are much different than others who served in the Pacific or European campaigns, but each story is still unique and special. The one thing that always got to me was imagining Granddaddy as a 19 year-old kid with guns and artillery being fired at him and how he responded. I just always pictured him as this great old man who would do anything for me. Now, I realize that he was also a great young man who would do anything for everybody. All veterans were.