After our June 7 broadcast of D-Day Reunion we received many stories from all over the nation. We will continue to add stories as they come in. (Email stories to now@thirteen.org)

Again, we encourage you to do an oral history for the Veterans History Project. We have easy-to-follow — instructions.

We have received stories from veterans and children of veterans, refugees and children of refugees and those affected on the homefront and abroad. They make for excellent reading.

D-Day Stories — Long Lost Friends — Brothers in Both Theaters — Refugees — Memories of the Philippines — Second Thoughts — Nagasaki — Homefront Heroes — Thanks Again — From the Blitz to 9/11

HOMEFRONT HEROES

Training the Pilots

I just finished watching the Bill Moyers special on the D-Day Heroes. My father, my Daddy, whom I lost on his 81st birthday, September 9, 2001, to the passing of age, was not a D-Day hero, nor a fighter in Europe, but rather an A-T6 pilot trainer in Arizona in the early 1940's. He is my hero. I would have to look through some of his papers and ask his beloved bride, my mother, for some of the details. I do know this, he was an exceptional pilot and teacher.

He was very patient but persistent with what I remember his calling the "the young whipper snapper" who thought knew it all. His description of the young, arrogant pilot who wouldn't wear his seat harness, had all of us at the dinner table laughing, though, I soon realized the depth of this story and the seriousness of the lesson. He shared, " I had this young whipper snapper who wouldn't put on his seat harness. Okay, so have it your way........" With no hesitation or forewarning, he would take this young "whipper snapper" into a slow roll, thus dumping him head first into the canopy (the roof of the cockpit).... From that point on, there was no argument about wearing the seat harness. Later, when he had three daughters of his own, many of the lessons we learned were much in the same manner. We had to visit our "canopies" on occasion, when the verbal forewarning was not heeded.

I believe that many of the combats who saw action and/or were met with the enemy head on, survived because there was someone who came before them, to encourage them, to maybe put the fear of God in them, perhaps, dump them into the canopy or best yet, made them believe in themselves to forge on in spite of the advisory. I don't know if my Dad did all of this, but I do know he did do some of this. I believed in him, still do and I bet for sure, so did some of his students.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I have always found Bill Moyers an inspiration and yet, a very "fatherly" fellow. yours truly,
Alice Hammond Nelson

THANKS AGAIN

Love takes many necessary forms

I wish that during my youth the many men I knew who fought had talked to us more about their combat experiences. Tony Nemetz one of my favorite professors at university did. His conversations over beer changed my entire life. Then again later my friend Major Sanders shared his experiences with me. Later a friend who was a combat veteran from the Vietnam War shared his experiences. Two weeks ago, my late uncle's brother-in-law filled in details from Stephen Ambrose's recent book about the Army Air Corps. I loved and love these men. To put it crudely, I probably ought to kiss their rear ends. Fortunately, they are too gracious and kind to expect that. Thank you for this moving encounter tonight.
--Ted Morgan

WWII Vet Story

928 FA ,Battery A ...Rhine River area of combat. Our units of the 103rd Infantry Division were closing in on the Rhine River. I was accosted by a German frau who informed me, "You Americans are now going to lose the war!" "What makes you think so?" I queried. "Your President Roosevelt is dead!" This was the first news I had received about the death of our Commander-in-Chief. I replied to the still smiling Frau, "If that is true...we already have a new president. His name is Harry Truman." Her smile vanished and I continued on my way...feeling proud of my teachers at Strong City (Kansas) Rural High School for teaching me about our government back in 1940.
--Sgt. Kenneth L. Lenke, Arizona