This weekend I had the honor of attending my uncle's life celebration in Charlotte, NC. Uncle James lived to be 98 and is survived by his wife of 72 years, Helen. Jim or Jimmy as he is most often called, was my Mother's younger brother. He was 11 when my Grandmother died. My Mother and older sister, Mary Virginia provided his maternal guidance. He graduated from Texas A&M and joined the Army upon graduation. During WWII he volunteered for the Army Air Corps and became a pilot. During the war he flew over 50 missions before being shot down over China and spent the last ten months of the war as a Japanese POW. Later he became a successful executive and spent more than a dozen years as a Referee in Bankruptcy after his retirement.
Although I did not see Uncle James on a frequent basis his presence was always there when my Mother and/or Aunt were around. The times I did get to see him, his presence was large. He always gave me time. Whether it was helping me assemble the erector set he gave me for Christmas, talking about, golf, business or his time as a POW. I grew up knowing, respecting and admiring Uncle James. An icon for the "Greatest Generation"
What I regret is not knowing the rest of the story with so many others from that Generation. My own Father being the major one of those. He was a WWII veteran that earned the rank of Captain, was awarded the Bronze Star and remained in the Army Reserve many years after the war. He never talked about the War and as a young adult, I was afraid to ask. I will never know "all of his story"
I do remember during holidays when we would return home, many of his friends would gather. I would listen to some of their conversations. All of them war time vets. One had survived the Bataan Death march. Others had served in various capacities. But, I knew none of their stories.
When I went to work in industry in the mid 60's many of the older employees had served during WWII. One had been in the Battle of the Bulge, one lost a leg in a naval accident and another was on the USS Indianapolis when it went down in shark infested waters in the Pacific. Never heard the rest of their story. My wife's cousin was in the 82nd Airborne and perished in the massive air drop on D-Day.
When I did take the opportunity to engage a WWII vet about their experiences, I felt the presence of greatness. Their dedication to their purpose was unquestioned. Their character was distinct. Their bravery easily recognizable. They became excellent fathers, husbands and contributors to society.
Uncle James was willing to tell his story and even wrote memoirs of his wartime experiences. So few of this generation is left. If you have the opportunity to know someone from this era, don't let
time slip away without hearing, "The Rest of Their Story"
Uncle James was willing to tell his story and even wrote memoirs of his wartime experiences. So few of this generation is left. If you have the opportunity to know someone from this era, don't let
time slip away without hearing, "The Rest of Their Story"
