I'm working on this project about my grandfather's days in the navy
during WW2. I happen to come in contact with a gentlemen who served on
the same small PT boat as my grandfather, and I goto visit him today to
interview him.

The man is in his mid-80s. He and his wife greet me, invite me in, and
we chat for a couple hours. We then decide to go for lunch. During the
chats, I learned that they got married a few months before the war -
over SIXTY FIVE years ago. That alone was suprising.

They got divorced at one time. Then, remarried. Then, somehow,
re-Re-married. I dont know the details, and out of respect I didnt ask.

But, here's the kicker for all of us die-hard romantics:

As we sat down for lunch, he squirted her ketchup onto her fries (she
having athritis), as we left, he buttoned up her coat for her, and they
held hands as they walked to their car. Her eyes glistened, probably
just the way they did 70 years ago when they met.

I left with even more respect for my grandfather's generation, a sadness
as this man was going for cancer treatment, and a longing to find that
same kind of relationship - good God I'd love to be squirting ketchup on
my lady's fries when I'm closing in on 90.

I work in a hospital and I do see some of this go on, with the men
taking care of their ladies, buttoning their coats and holding their
hands guiding them out to their cars, or the women taking care of their
men. It happens on both sides.

What a wonderful story. We should all be so lucky.

Whole-heartedly agree!! I took my mom and dad out to dinner for their
47th anniversary and dad ordered for my mom-gave the waitress the order
as "and the wife will have" guess he should know how she takes her meals
after all that time-still-would be nice to have someone who knows me
that well!!

"good God I'd love to be squirting ketchup on my lady's fries when I'm
closing in on 90."

Damm it, where is she? She better hurry up and introduce herself cuz
these fries will be looking nasty soon.

those were days of honor..clean pure living ..during the federal era,the
rooosevelt era..people knew what persecution felt like and appreciated
what they had and how to give. The war was on all fronts and death was
real..therfore life became more precious...after ww2 things started to
get un-american and the country started to get wacky..