"Band of Brothers" is wonderful.
My Dad tells me of the milk man who brought the milk, the cottage cheese, the ice cream and other dairy products to his childhood home in a DIVCO milk truck. The kind in which the driver could sit or stand when moving and used dry ice to keep the milk cold. Dad tells me that Old Pete, which was what the milkman went by, was a shy man who never spoke of his past. Dad tells me that Old Pete was very kind to children and would often give them little containers of ice cream, popsicles, fix their bicycle tires, help the kids with their cats and dogs and just sometimes chat with them.
Old Pete had a small farm in Bonner Springs, Kansas off of 7 highway and until recently, the brick silo was still standing. I never met Old Pete but Dad tells me that one day he got Pete to tell him a little about his experience in World War Two but had to promise not to tell until after Pete had died. Turns out this ordinary, unassuming milkman, who was kind to children and animals was a veteran and survivor of one of the baddest group of warriors ever to make their presence known on the planet.
Merrill's Marauders.
90% of our WW II veterans have passed away and some 1500 of the remainder die each day.
Lest we forget.
