World War II

When I was in DC last month I was able to visit the new World War II Memorial. I found it pretty stunning. I made sure to get a picture of the Pennsylvania pillar so I could show my grandfather. He grew up in Pennsylvania and served in WWII in the Navy along with two of his brothers. I wish he could go to DC to see this, but he's not up to the trip and probably won't ever be.

He just recently gave me a box with pictures that included this cut out from the York, PA newspaper in 1941. The article below his picture said that he was learning a lot and "he recommends enlistment to his friends." That made me smile.

I'm glad this memorial was finished while there are still WWII vets to see it. Unfortunately many of them who are still alive are not well enough to travel. My grandfather is in an assisted living place right now and I know of at least one other WWII vet there with him.

My mother recently brought an American flag in for my grandfather and gave it to him while he sat in the living room with a lot of the other residents. They're all suffering from Alzheimers, but someone started singing the Marine Corps Hymn and everyone else in the room joined in. It was a surreal moment--all of these old men and women who otherwise seem out of it (to varying degrees) were singing in unison.

The man who had started singing had been a medic in the Marines. When the song was over, he let go of his walker, sat back down, leaned over to my grandfather and said, "we really kicked their butts, didn't we?"