Thread by @natsfert

For some reason, December 7 makes me miss my grandfather more than most other days of the year. he fought in WWII, in the Pacific, and we spent a lot of time talking about that in his final years. This is one of my favorite photos of him because he was always snarky til the end.

This photo was taken at least a year after Pearl Harbor, when he was home on leave for a few days before shipping out into the pacific. He's in the middle — my grandma is to the left and his lifelong friend (my father's godfather) is to the right, with his wife.

One story my grandfather told me about his time in WWII stuck with me, and I'd like to share it here -- but this is a trigger warning, because this is a battle story and war is evil and terrible.

He told me that during the invasion of Okinawa, there were kamikaze pilots. He made eye contact with one of the pilots, and after watching the plane dive into the water, turned and told another officer standing near him "that's an incredibly brave man." [1/]

The other officer was angry, and told my grandfather that his statement was un-American because that was the enemy.

But, my grandfather told me, his opinion didn't change. He said always remember there are brave people trying to do what's right on both sides of any conflict. [2]

Honestly, I think that lesson can be applied to anything -- to war, yes, but also to politics and religion and so much more.

I think we could all take a moment to step back and remember that the people on the other side of any conflict also are just trying to do their best.

There are still so many unanswered questions I have for him. I know what he did on Dec 7, 1941 - but I don't know where he was when he found out the war was over. I know about Okinawa, but not about the friends he lost. If you know a WWII vet, don't wait. Get their stories.