- Joined
- Sep 12, 2012
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I hope it is appropriate that I put this into Military History.
Long story short, the local cigar shop I hang out at has a card room - One gentleman who is there every morning at 10am is Papa. He just turned 90 years old, plays poker and smokes all day long. After many months of hanging around the table I finally achieved my primary objective. One-on-one cribbage with Papa. We played three games, he told me some stories, and he told his regular card guys that he was playing with his new friend.
I felt so honored to even be in his presence, much less be asked to play cards and hold a conversation with him.
I hope you take the time to watch the short video of him. As he puts it, he tells the stories that don't get glorified in the movies, including anti-aircraft celebrating a hit, until they realize it was a US plane. He gives this talk a few times a week, for a fee, and donates every penny to different vet organizations - Here is a quick bio about him,
Joe served the United States in World War II under General George Patton, serving in Patton's 3rd Infantry. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in July of 1943, at the age of 18. As part of D-Day, the Normandy invasion, Joe landed in France on Omaha Beach around July 15th, 1944. Joe fought the Battle of Cherbourg, Battle of the Bulge, forged north into Germany crossing the Rhine River, then into central Austria and Czechoslovakia. His division helped liberate multiple concentration camps; part of a large group of camps and sub-camps in Austria. Joe enjoys sharing his story with Veterans groups, churches, synagogues, schools and training and civic organizations. His hope is to help generate donations for the Military Order of the Purple Heart. "I just want the world to know. I want to impress on kids that freedom is not free. And, don't take things for granted because somebody had to pay the price."
ETA -
This is a link to an interview a well known radio personality did with Papa last year. It is about an hour long, but in my opinion so very worth the investment of time. I consider myself so fortunate to call this man a friend.
In the Podcast he refers to a drug called "Blue 88" that the soldiers took. Has anyone ever heard of this? Blue 88 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The story he tells about the Concentration Camps are just heartbreaking.
http://www.spreaker.com/.../episode-18-the-war-veteran
Long story short, the local cigar shop I hang out at has a card room - One gentleman who is there every morning at 10am is Papa. He just turned 90 years old, plays poker and smokes all day long. After many months of hanging around the table I finally achieved my primary objective. One-on-one cribbage with Papa. We played three games, he told me some stories, and he told his regular card guys that he was playing with his new friend.
I felt so honored to even be in his presence, much less be asked to play cards and hold a conversation with him.
I hope you take the time to watch the short video of him. As he puts it, he tells the stories that don't get glorified in the movies, including anti-aircraft celebrating a hit, until they realize it was a US plane. He gives this talk a few times a week, for a fee, and donates every penny to different vet organizations - Here is a quick bio about him,
Joe served the United States in World War II under General George Patton, serving in Patton's 3rd Infantry. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in July of 1943, at the age of 18. As part of D-Day, the Normandy invasion, Joe landed in France on Omaha Beach around July 15th, 1944. Joe fought the Battle of Cherbourg, Battle of the Bulge, forged north into Germany crossing the Rhine River, then into central Austria and Czechoslovakia. His division helped liberate multiple concentration camps; part of a large group of camps and sub-camps in Austria. Joe enjoys sharing his story with Veterans groups, churches, synagogues, schools and training and civic organizations. His hope is to help generate donations for the Military Order of the Purple Heart. "I just want the world to know. I want to impress on kids that freedom is not free. And, don't take things for granted because somebody had to pay the price."
ETA -
This is a link to an interview a well known radio personality did with Papa last year. It is about an hour long, but in my opinion so very worth the investment of time. I consider myself so fortunate to call this man a friend.
In the Podcast he refers to a drug called "Blue 88" that the soldiers took. Has anyone ever heard of this? Blue 88 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The story he tells about the Concentration Camps are just heartbreaking.
http://www.spreaker.com/.../episode-18-the-war-veteran
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