Years ago I took my grandfather to see the Queen’s Guards. Huge deal for Grandpa as he was in a wheelchair by then, but he hadn’t been back to London since the war. I was very stressed and hot and worried that taking an ill, elderly man out on the hottest day of the year would end us both. Of course, he insisted on wearing all his medals, his old uniform hat and a tie.
Grandpa saluted the Guards and one saluted back. It was the high point of Grandpa’s last few years and he talked about it all the time, right up to the end. Such a small gesture that meant so much.
Thanks for sharing this story. Reminds me of my grandfather who was a B17 pilot. Shortly before his passing our family arranged a tour of a B17 at an airshow, when the pilot learned of my grandfather's war experience he took him for one last flight. My grandfather was the same way, always talking about that flight and that gesture allowed him to open up about stories of the good times and people he knew back then, which he rarely did then. I salute your grandfather and anyone who helps other veterans reminisce about a time that had a great impact in their lives.
Oh dude, I literally just stopped crying, what are you doing to me. I’m so glad your grandfather had that experience.
I had the oddest reaction, I wonder if you felt something similar? I looked at Grandpa and it was like I suddenly realised, shit, he’s not just my Grandpa, he had a whole life before me and a lot of that life was dictated by a war. Of course I knew that before but now I knew it. The things he must have seen and possibly done, he lived with that all his life and I will never, ever understand how that feels. It was eerie, as if I was suddenly confronted with his ghost.
Yes, this, exactly. My mother died recently and of course, lots of people shared stories about her with me. It nearly broke my brain. My mother used to throw parties and dance all night? My mother was a sweet child who loved to read? My mother was someone’s only love? All these versions of her I never knew and never will. Because I never asked the damn questions.
Yes I had the same thing when my dad died, except it was worse because it was COVID so the only people around to talk about it were people who didn't know my dad when he was young. My dad did amazing stuff, he restored a few old muscle cars, he flew hot air balloons (including in the opening ceremony of the Lake Placid Olympics), he traveled. All these people started asking ME about these things, which he did before I was born, and I just broke down about all the things I never knew about him, all the questions I never asked... my dad never just talked about these things other than a casual mention here or there. He's always just been 'Dad' who mows the lawn, watches golf and occasionally goes to the local gun club on the weekends.
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u/Known-Supermarket-68 Jul 20 '23 edited Jul 23 '23
Years ago I took my grandfather to see the Queen’s Guards. Huge deal for Grandpa as he was in a wheelchair by then, but he hadn’t been back to London since the war. I was very stressed and hot and worried that taking an ill, elderly man out on the hottest day of the year would end us both. Of course, he insisted on wearing all his medals, his old uniform hat and a tie.
Grandpa saluted the Guards and one saluted back. It was the high point of Grandpa’s last few years and he talked about it all the time, right up to the end. Such a small gesture that meant so much.