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Originally Posted by MrSelfDestruct
If you really want to hear some amazing stories, ask a WWII veteran, or any other war veteran, for an example of bravery that he has seen. When I asked, I got this story:
The veteran I spoke to was on a ship during WWII. There was a hole in a fuel tank from enemy fire. Unless the hole was sealed, which would require welding a steel plate over it, the ship could not make it back to port. Everyone on the ship knew it had to be done, but none was willing to weld an open hole in a fuel tank due to fear of blowing up the ship. after several minutes of silence, a young sailor who had enlisted only a few weeks before the incident took initiative, stepped up, placed a wet rag over the hole, a steel plate over the rag, and welded it into place wihtout blinking an eye. An 18-year-old boy, barely out of high school, was the only one on the ship willing to step up and weld shut an open hole in a half-full fuel tank and save the lives of everyone on the stranded ship.
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This one has the ring of truth to it. I have yet to see/hear a WWII veteran blow his own horn, but they almost invariably praise the bravery of their buddies.
I have very infrequently heard them discuss an incident of cowardice, but they will never mention the name of the person involved.
As an aside, I was very disappointed in Brokaw's "The Greatest Generation," because the things he recounted weren't nearly as interesting as those I've heard first-hand, like you.