Veterans

[Donner]

I'm a son of two members of the Greatest Generation. My mother passed away 2 years ago this past January and my father (USN WW2 vet) will be 82 in April. I have picked his brain for all the stories that he is willing pass on.

A good friend of the family died last month. He was a medic who went ashore on D+1 at Normandy and then went on serve in Patton's 3rd Army. He kept alot of his stories to himself since he saw the horrors of war up close.

It is sad to see these men passing so quickly. I have been fortunate to have corresponded with many vets, American, British, and German. I was also fortunate enough to correspond repeatedly with Erich Topp and many other u-boat RKTs (Hardegen, Oesten, Lassen, etc). Herr Topp was a true gentleman and I miss him.

I continue to be amazed at the kindness of all the vets. I received a letter some years ago from Hans-Günther Lange dated "24.12." I was stunned that this man would take time on Christmas Eve, a time for family, to write to me. I am still in awe over it.

The most amazing things I have experienced are the unexpected phone calls from Germany from u-boat seamen and diesel mechanics whom I had written. They appreciate the fact that someone cared enough to try to locate them and learn from them.

If you ever have the good fortune of speaking with a WW2 vet, by all means take advantage of it. Soon the opportunity will be gone forever.