World War 2 Vet Surprised Me

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   I saw a rather fit elderly gentleman shopping today sporting a Navy Ball Cap. I said that I was in the Navy and asked when he served he said WWII. I said they he was in great shape.  He says "Oh me I'm pushing 100"  I swear the guy looked to be in his 70s

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SW28fan Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Special Member Donating Member Joined: July 02 2007 Location: Texas Status: Offline Points: 3388	Post Options Post Reply Quote SW28fan Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: World War 2 Vet Surprised Me Posted: December 12 2024 at 6:44pm
	I saw a rather fit elderly gentleman shopping today sporting a Navy Ball Cap. I said that I was in the Navy and asked when he served he said WWII. I said they he was in great shape. He says "Oh me I'm pushing 100" I swear the guy looked to be in his 70s
	Have a Nice Day If already having a nice day please disregard

A square 10 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Special Member Donating Member Joined: December 12 2006 Location: MN , USA Status: Offline Points: 16998	Post Options Post Reply Quote A square 10 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: December 12 2024 at 7:15pm
	ya - i was saying how had my father lived he would be 100 this year - but i confused his birthdate and my moms , he would be 102 , she would be 100 , funny how time slips away , shes been gone 14 years now - he 24 , im now the age he was when he died im glad to hear that there are still vets that are that old that look that good ,

Zed Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Special Member Donating Member Joined: May 01 2012 Location: France Status: Offline Points: 6460	Post Options Post Reply Quote Zed Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: January 15 2025 at 10:13am
	When we say they were the greatest generation; I think it's also a reflection on their lifestyle. Most grew up with hard work and wholesome food, without excess and without the toxic quantities of added sugar and chemicals that we see today!
	It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice!

paddyofurniture Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: December 26 2011 Location: NC Status: Offline Points: 7942	Post Options Post Reply Quote paddyofurniture Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: January 15 2025 at 10:20am
	That's why I am on a Carnivore diet. Meat only plus coffee.
	Always looking for military manuals, Dodge M37 items,books on Berlin Germany, old atlases ( before 1946) , military maps of Scotland. English and Canadian gun parts.

britrifles Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: February 03 2018 Location: Georgia, USA Status: Offline Points: 8404	Post Options Post Reply Quote britrifles Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: January 15 2025 at 10:50am
	I have a vivid memory of my great grandfather pushing my great grandmother in a wheel chair into the room of the old folks home where the family had gathered to celebrate his 100th birthday. That was in the late 1960's. So, he would have been born in the 1860's. I remember his stories of growing up on the farm when he was a kid. My great grandfather was a steam ship Captain running passenger steamers up and down the St. Lawrence river from Kingston to Montreal (and maybe further). In those days, there was no St. Lawrence seaway. Those ships would "shoot the rapids" going east as it was a lot quicker than going thru the locks. They were fairly large boats, three or more decks, and looked like a toy boat bobbing in a river; huge waves. When they diverted the river to build the dam west of Cornwall, they took him down to the floor of the river to see the huge boulders that created those rapids, they were several stories high. Don't know how I got on to that story!

Sapper740 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: July 15 2021 Location: Texas Status: Offline Points: 1737	Post Options Post Reply Quote Sapper740 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: January 16 2025 at 1:51am
	Interesting story about the St. Lawrence Seaway brit, thank you for sharing it with us. My wife's grandfather was born on the Rock and went to sea serving on both sailing and steamships until he eventually joined the RCN and skippered several harbour tugs in Halifax during WWII eventually being given command of a large sea going tug, the Riverton. After the war he was tasked with escorting the Royal yacht Britannia for Queen Elizabeth's inaugural visit to Canada. Some of the smaller ports she visited didn't have sufficiently sized docks for the Britannia so he towed a floating portable dock for the Queen's use, if required. For his service he was given a beautiful plaque with the Britannia's crest and a thank you letter from the Queen's secretary for services rendered. Apparently he escorted the Britannia all the way from Halifax to the Seaway.

britrifles Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: February 03 2018 Location: Georgia, USA Status: Offline Points: 8404	Post Options Post Reply Quote britrifles Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: January 16 2025 at 4:02am
	These family stories are interesting, and indeed worth sharing. I remembered the name of the steamship my Great Grandfather skippered, it was called the Rapids Prince. He skippered several others, but I think spent most of his time on this one. I was currious if there was any info online about the Rapids Prince and found this: https://cornwallcommunitymuseum.wordpress.com/2012/06/27/running-the-rapids-on-the-rapids-prince/ My great grandfather (my mother’s grandfather) is Capt Stephenson, third photo down. But the surprise is that my grandfather (my father’s father) is in the photo below it. He was a supervisor in the Coutaulds plant on the east end of Cornwall. Judging from the photo, I’d guess this was in the late 1930’s - early 40’s, when my mother and father were kids.

Shamu Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admin Group Logo Designer / Donating Member Joined: April 25 2007 Location: MD, USA. Status: Offline Points: 20510	Post Options Post Reply Quote Shamu Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: January 16 2025 at 10:00am
	Neat!
	Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)

Sapper740 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: July 15 2021 Location: Texas Status: Offline Points: 1737	Post Options Post Reply Quote Sapper740 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: January 16 2025 at 11:53am
	That would have been something to see, a steamer running whitewater! Those were the days! My wife's grandfather, Lieutenant Skipper Angus Bowdridge's last command was the the Riverton, a Norton Class towboat built in 1944 by Canadian Bridge Company in Walkerville, Ontario for the RCN. She was 257 gross tons, 104 1/2 foot long towboat powered by a single 1000 hp Sulzer diesel. I've attached a picture of her in the foreground with DDE Columbia, Chaudiere, Kootenay, and Terra Nova behind and HMCS Bonaventure in the background.