I used to sit for hours on the living room floor in my Grandparents little house and listen to my Grandfather tell stories from WWII. I begged him to tell me stories...and his routine was to hold out on me for anticipation, then take off into a great one. He loved telling me how it was in the Army about as much as I loved hearing it. From North Africa, to Italy, to France...I heard the best and worst of them. I honestly felt like I went to war with him, because he was one of a dying breed of great story tellers. I've been a WWII buff ever since.

As he got a lot older and became disabled, he was active in the DAV color guard up until he couldn't hardly walk anymore. I watched him as a flag man first in parades, then in the funerals of his buddies doing ceremonies with the flag, bugler, and 21 gun salute. Watching his group do the ceremony at his funeral was probably the hardest and proudest moment of my life. Cried like a baby.

I really can't express how much I admire the man...and most of the millions of men just like him from that generation. Without question, THE greatest generation of Americans. The World would be a lot better place if more folks had the values, patriotism, and resolve that they had.

Oh, and anybody who doesn't cry at the end of Saving Private Ryan is a commie. Best WWII movie ever.