I can remember WWII when I was a youngster and when they were young men. I had 5 uncles who served. All of whom survived. And my hometown (Waterloo, Iowa) was home to the 5 Sullivan brothers. All of whom enlisted in the Navy and died when the Japanese sank the cruiser Juneau. Only one of them was married and had children. A granddaughter represents the family in any official events, especially when the latest Juneau puts to sea for its maiden voyage. Their death resulted in regulations making sure that at least one sibling of a family should survive. Most people my age can remember several teachers and coaches who were WWII vets. I think we were lucky to have them.
Some were still around and serving, like our platoon sergeant, when I went through Basic Training in1963. There were also a few in my National Guard unit. Those much younger than I am (and I turn octogenarian inAugust) will have missed serving with them. Also had WWII vets, some of whom had served in the Office of Strategic Services (OSS, the forerunner of the CIA) when I went to DC as a CIA recruit. Once more, our good luck to have been exposed to those vets. It's sad to think that very few of that generation still survive.
Last edited by L. Brown; 06/07/25 07:56 AM.
