@gingerw My dad spoke of his service only one time. We were visiting him after his retirement. Late one evening I said I was going to take our children out for a walk on the beach. My dad said he wanted to come along -- something he never did. Part way into our walk he said he had something he wanted to tell the kids. For the only time in my life he told his stories of the war --- finishing with 'I just want you grandchildren to know how horrible war is, what I had to do, and how I was just plain lucky to live through it.'