Valor Knows No Age

A couple years ago, Mr. Eddings and I took a cruise around the British Isles with stops in Ireland, Orkney, Scotland and France. When we travel, part of the fun is meeting new people, so we always opt to be seated with others instead of having a private table. We are usually seated with folks who are close to our age, and arguably would have similar interests.

This time we were seated with two nonegenarians. At first, we were disappointed. What common ground would we find with these men in their 90's?

Then we got to know them and discovered that they were both WWII veterans.

George and Joe had been friends since high school. After Pearl Harbor, they volunteered when the country went to war. George was a soldier in the European theater, was captured by the Nazis and spent time in a POW camp. Joe was an airman, flying bombers out of Burma. They both survived the war, came home, married, had families and meaningful careers. In an ironic twist, George married a German girl who came to the States for college,

Both men were with their wives for more than 50 years, so they know a thing or two about faithfulness and making a love last. When we met them, they'd both become widowers, but their friendship was as strong as ever. Each year, they take a trip together and this particular year, they hoped to visit the beaches of Normandy when we stopped in France.

We are losing our WWII vets at a rate of 550 a day. My hubby and I count ourselves blessed to have been able to spend 12 days getting to know these two.

To all our vets, to our current airmen, sailors, marines, soldiers, coasties and their families, please accept my heartfelt thanks for your service to our country. You are my heroes!