i need advice from any WWII vets out there

[HoffaLives]

there must be some on this forum?

[uspirate]

my grandfather was a WWII vet and the advice he gave me, i'll pass on to you.
A. There is no such thing as an atheist in a foxhole.
B. Your weapon is made by the lowest bidder.
C. If the enemy is within range, so are you..

[jerryrlitton]

Tracers work both ways.

[jerryrlitton]

What advice you looking for in particular?

[Freesail99]

My Dad fought at Midway and many others. He was on Enterprise

[sailaway21]

Hoffa,
Check your local nursing home. There aren't any WWII vets under eighty years of age so you better find one soon. I doubt you'll find very many on-line either. What ever your question is, you probably should have thought of it a few years ago, in five years it isn't going to matter what you're curious about.

[HoffaLives]

this is a strange one (what else) but i want to be sensitive. i am restoring an antique vw truck and want to paint it military colours with military markings. since before 1913 to 1945, and since 1957, the german army used and uses the iron cross on their vehicles. it would be dumb to use an american star or british bulls-eye on a german truck. but a german truck with an iron cross painted on the side? i don't want to freak people out although i want to be authentic. no swastikas or anything nazi related of course - just german army markings.
what would vets think of this? after what they went through i really don't want to offend vulnerable people over an aesthetic issue.

[jrd22]

Hoffa- my father is a WWII vet, flew out of England delivering new/repaired planes(everything from Spitfires to heavy bombers) to bases in Europe and then flew the ones that had been shot up and weren't fit for duty back. It's been a long time and I know he is pretty much over it, but it took him a long time to become comfortable if there was someone with a German accent around(and you can forget about him buying a Mercedes). He lost a lot of friends to German guns so it's understandable. I don't think he would have a problem with you putting a German cross on a truck now, too much water under the bridge, and it's commendable that you would be concerned about it possibly offending someone.

Dad has a 1970 Contest 30 that he regularly sails (singlehand) out of Tarrytown, NY, and is repowering it this winter. He is 86 now and got me into sailing when he bought a Vivacity 20 while I was in high school. He doesn't do computers even though I have tried to get him interested, he would love Sailnet.

[sailingdog]

JRD-

Your father sounds like quite a character... I bet he has some stories to tell.

[xort]

Reminds me of the story my mother told. She was german/french and married a pollack. They had to lie to grandpa about her german heritage. Grandpa escaped europe during wwI and had a rather bad taste regarding the huns.