Since we’re talking about people we’ve known, we’ve admired and respect for the sacrifices they’ve made for us. Quick story… I had a friend, a navy veteran of WW2. One day he calls me and asked if I knew of a place where he could get motion picture film transferred to dvd. My connection to that process was being a tv news cameraman… and I happened to use a transfer company that I trusted. Fast forward to his getting the footage and a dvd back. He invited my wife and me to come over for drinks to thank me for helping. I watched the video and it turns out that it’s gun camera footage from an Avenger of a flyover of the USS Missouri during the Japanese surrender ceremony while it was taking place. He had never talked about his experience during the war. Of course I asked him where he’d gotten the footage, amazing piece of history. It was then that he revealed that he was in the Navy. A journalist till the end, I pressed him on … “so what did you do during the war, Charles?” “Oh… nothing much” was his reply…pressing further… it turned out that he was a rear gunner on dive and torpedo planes. His humility was palpable, you could cut it with a knife. “I was just a kid and did what was expected of kids his age.” Sadly he’s no longer with us but he’ll always be a hero to me.
Btw… I was a student of WW2 but the European Theatre. Personal reasons. I did drag my wife and young son on my homage to the men and women who participated in D-Day and the Normandy campaign. There’s a bit more to that story but I’ve taken up enough of everyone’s time.
Good luck with the Arizona, a worthy ship and worthy service people to pay homage to.
); it's one thing that sets military personnel apart from so many other professions.