Comments on: My Favorite Veteran

By: Uncle George

Uncle George — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 16:07:08 +0000

B, this is one of your best stories ever!

By: Clownfish

Clownfish — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 04:35:42 +0000

I’m sure it would be fun meeting him someday. I enjoy yacking it up with any Vet.

The Veteran I was most grateful for was my Uncle Doug. He was the Commander of the Supply Corp for the Navy in Naples, Italy. My destroyer stopped there twice and each time I got a 3 day pass. How great to hang out with my Uncle, Aunt and cousins in Italy. It was truly the highlight of each of those deployments.

I hope your Grandpa had a very nice Veterans Day!

By: BeachMama

BeachMama — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 12:38:41 +0000

What a wonderful story SAJ. Did your was the woman at the desk your grandmother??

By: Anna-b-bonkers

Anna-b-bonkers — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 06:30:41 +0000

Such a swell story! So much like my grandpa only….well never mind that, just similar in that he never made it to the actual fighting. He never got out of Canada actually!
Another story all together. Anyway, I love the pictures, especially the one of him standing at the top of the stairs with the light above his head…like a halo. :-)

By: Jen

Jen — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:02:47 +0000

He looks like a GEM!! I miss the letter-writing era. I still have a lot of letters that I got from friends and such before there was this thing called the internet. I kind of miss those days.

By: Barb

Barb — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:37:26 +0000

What a sweetie he is!

By: Kathy K

Kathy K — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:46:27 +0000

Oh Brenda! Your Grandpa is just prescious! I love the pictures of the two of you together. He does have the sweetest, grandpa face. All of my grandparents, except for one grandma, had passed before I was born, so I never really had a grandpa of my own. Thanks for sharing your grandpa with all of us. Great post!

By: gingermog

gingermog — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:02:36 +0000

Hi SAJ,

Was your grandfather stationed outside of London or did he actually live in London itself? I guess he was in the RAF or the US equivalent. Anyway I am charmed to think your granddad probably walked the same streets as I do and the same buildings are familiar to us both. Very likely he knew the Piccadilly/Soho area well and in some respects it hasn’t changed much since the 40’s, Foyles books shop is still there, some Italian coffee shops and the Windmill Theatre).

Do you know if he was in London for the VE day celebrations? I was showing my students some photos of wartime London the other day and telling them about how exciting it was when the Piccadilly lights were switched on again after the WW2 (of course I wasn’t there but my Dad was). Like your grandfather he didn’t actually see action as the war ended just as he turned of service age but he was a fire watcher from the age of 14 ( putting out fires from incendiary bombs on top of buildings).

I’m so glad your grandfather came home safe to his family (and made a new family). Lovely story. As Armistice Day has just past here its good to be reminded of the true life stories of our veterans. Please tell him thank you from me.

By: RaeAnne

RaeAnne — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:13:14 +0000

That is such a sweet story. :) My dad was shipmates in the Navy with my mom’s ex-husband; my mom’s ex introduced them (after they were divorced, obviously!), they hit it off, and they were married for 29 years until my dad passed away.

By: Ruth

Ruth — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:21:26 +0000

What a fabulous story. I love hearing old stories from relatives that you’d never think they could tell. Your grandfather is precious!