[Slipdigit]

Bear with him, in years to come, his grandchildren will be pestering him to talk about you, their hero.

Years ago, I sat down several times with a video recorder and talked to my grandfather at length about his whole life. We got three tapes full, 6 hours, of him telling me and my future grandchildren about himself. Two hours of the tape is on his war experience. I did the same for my grandmother, I just wished that I had had the opportunity to talk with my the other grandparents who had already died. Those tapes are gold to me.

Yes, your grandson wants to know about the things he thinks made you a hero, such the painful memories of lives you may have cut short or how the weapons worked, but be sure and tell him about the normal everyday parts of being a soldier or wondering how the family was doingback home, so he won't forget the soldier in his own life that may be overseas and is waiting for that letter or package. Tell him funny stories about things that happened to let him know that you were just a good man doing good things under terrible circumstances.

Get yourself a tape recorder and keep it by you and as you think of things, record them. When your grandson is older, he'll love you for giving him memories of you that are worth saving.

I appreciate what you did and I am teaching my daugters to have the same attitude about veterans. I appreciate the hardships and difficult things you may have had to do but I am most thankful that you gave time out of your life and that is your most precious commodity.