Not too much going on here, as usual.. McGyver and I have been helping Uncle Jr. and Aunt Jeanette with grocery shopping and his bi-weekly Physical Therapy appointments. Our weather here has been horrible…cold and windy…It usually is in the “teens” when we get up, and we both have missed walking in the morning the past few days…When those wind chill temps are in the single digits….it just isn’t happening!!
When we go to Uncle Jr’s house we usually end up in their kitchen having some snacks and a glass of wine/beer…(I really think that the wine is the reason they are still here…That’s my theory and I’m stickin’ to it!)…Anyway, we always sit and have a really nice visit, and many times Uncle Jr. starts talking about his WWII experience…
No, it isn’t that warm here..This was taken August of 2012…..ahhh the good ol’ days of summer 
Well, Uncle Jr. didn’t disappoint…. He began to reflect about what happened to him on December 7th, 1941…the day the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor…He had enlisted in September of 1941, and was in Pensacola, FL at the base there on Dec. 7th that year. …The minute I had a feeling he was “going there”, I casually put my cell phone on the table and turned on the voice recorder….I didn’t want to alert them I was recording, and I’m sure he never realized it…I had it on for about 20 minutes, and WOW… I got some great stuff about his duty ..and in his own voice ( sometimes muffled by tears
I didn’t even dare listen to it until we got home…I was hoping and praying that it turned out OK…..AND IT IS UNBELIEVABLE!! Today, McGyver loaded the audio onto our computer so we can make a disk of those conversations…Our kids and grandkids need to hear this and it is really neat that we can keep it with us long after they are gone…I fully intend to get some more audio of them another time we go up there….Young people can certainly benefit from hearing what our elders experienced…I feel very blessed to have gotten this on audio….SCORE!!!!
I also want to mention that today is our “baby’s” (Christie),39th birthday….
“Moi” and Christie, left picture…On the right, our 2 beautiful daughters, left is Terrie, and right is Christie..our baby
Sooooo…we zoomed right over the first official day of Spring…with snow and cold and wind chills at zero, I might add. There IS one member of our family who refuses to let this weather bother her….Our granddaughter, Taylor, age 14 1/2…Ah, youth…
Never mind the snow in the backyard, Taylor Kate Heiser is excited that next week is SPRING BREAK for the kids in Sugar Grove, IL….a little crazy, this one…wonder where she gets that???
“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.”
― Ronald Reagan
Ken's Dad never talked about WW2 but towards the end of life he would talk to us for hours. It was so interesting. He was the gunner in that bubble on the belly of the plane. He did that for 5 years. Man did he have some tales to tell. His whole crew survived the war and up to about 5 years ago, they were all alive. They put together a book on their experiences. I'm glad now that we have that since Wally died a few years ago.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful memory that audio recording will be for generations to come. We taped my mom, dad and grandmother in an interview setting with audio and video. Isn't technology great?
DeleteI was soooo excited to get home and make sure we got good audio....and sooooooo thrilled to find that we did...I hope to get more!
DeleteYou are so lucky Uncle Junior remembers and passes on those memories,Although I truly loved flying in the Navy guys from my era never said much,Even Donna doesn't know much of my experiences and misadventures,Year before last when I met my squadron mates in Branson was probably the first time we really got into discussions about our past experiences, You could tell all the wives were hearing it for the first time. Treasure that tape it is priceless. Sam & Donna...
ReplyDeleteI SO DO treasure it, Sam....Now, I want more!!
DeleteHmm reminds me of my tour last year, i went to 4 beautiful countries and had a great time. specially with Sri lanka Accommodation Team who helped us a lot.
ReplyDeleteNoticed the pictures you posted were in warm weather. I'm spending the weekend with my daughter in Denver and we got 10" of that white stuff. Hey, how bout I send it your way? Love that header photo...noted! Stay warm :-)
ReplyDeleteWarm weather is NOT what we have here! I saw that Colorado was getting dumped upon...How do you drive in that stuff?? We are expecting 1-3" from that same storm today....Header photo....Goliad is one of my fav's!
DeleteThat is truly Cool Beans! Can't wait to hear some of it. Glad you had a phone smart enough to record it. What a gift to all following generations to cherish!
ReplyDeleteI agree, Judy...I had goose bumps while he was speaking, knowing I was recording important history...I will try to get more...
DeleteHappy Birthday, Christie!! Say it ain't so! You don't look anywhere near 39, both you and your sister look barely out of your teens!! Heck, your Mom looks 39 only!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great treasure to have that audio recording. I sure wish I had one of those of my Dad even though he never talked much about his WWII experiences. Most of what he related was the funny stuff that always happens but not too much of the bad and there was plenty of that.
Try and get as much audio as you can it will be a family treasure (psst. make sure your batteries are fully charged on your phone)!!
Trust me, those girls got their good genes from Den's sister, Evonne..She NEVER looked her age, and died waaay to young at 64 of lung cancer...What a beauty she was...And don't worry about the phone batteries being charged..They get fully charged every night and really hold up well...I don't get many phone calls.
ReplyDeleteThere is a WWII online memorial site that honors all those who served in the war. Family members can add a page for their family member. With the help of a friend I just added my father to the site. The site is: http://www.wwiimemorial.com/default.asp?page=home.asp
ReplyDeleteThanks sooo much for the info...We will do just that!
DeleteOK Donna, You have me close to tears. I wish I had asked my mom and dad about their life history. We always feel that we have plenty of time, then BANG! The opportunity is lost. You are doing yourself and future generations a great service.
ReplyDeletePlease tell Uncle Jr. thanks from us....
My Mom and Dad were the same..died at ages 64 and 67, respectively....I'll tell Uncle Jr. thanx for us all.
DeleteI like your header pictures. Looks like it was taken near a fort or mission in Texas. What a wonderful thing to have. I wonder what our conversations would like if my parents, their parents and aunts and uncles were still around. Looking forward to hearing what your records had in them.
ReplyDeleteI will be getting them together in the next few weeks...want to get a few more first. The header was taken at Presidio La Bahia in Goliad...Goliad State Park and surrounding area are amazing historical places to visit..Maybe I will do a blog on it soon!
Delete