Sixty-eight years later

Elaine and I had the opportunity last night to listen to two World War II veterans give a talk about their experiences in combat. Both fought in the Pacific. Both were at Iwo Jima, or Iwo, as they called it. One was seventeen at the time; the other, nineteen.

An audience member asked if they had difficulties after the war. None, one said, although ”Of course, you suffer some.” The other described his weekly trips to a VA support group, which he has been making for the past thirty-six years. He also showed a list of prescriptions for his war-related problems: twelve every morning, five every night. Sixty-eight years later, he still has nightmares.