I have been given a tremendous opportunity this summer.

[Fenris]

World War II is something of my area of historical expertise, if I can claim any, and my grandmother recently invited me to her home this summer to speak with a friend of hers. He is in his eighties and a veteran of Operation Overlord. She asked him if he would speak to me about his experience and record it, and he agreed, in exchange for a glass of wine. Apparently, he spoke to my grandparents for nearly three hours on his war experience, and they felt I would benefit from his account. I can't begin to tell you how excited I am. I plan on recording him and then typing out the interview. If there is any interest, I'll post parts of it later this summer.

I am honored and ecstatic to be able to speak with a veteran of Normandy.

:D

[dolo amber]

1. Ah sa-WEEET!!

That sounds fantastic, Fen... :D

[Fenris]

2. Indeed!

Hooray for me! :loveya:

[dutchdemocrat]

3. My Grandfather in Law

Here in Holland is 93 and still drives. His (Dutch) father was a pioneer in the creating the first cinemas in Paris at the turn of the century.

Having an early 'techie' kind of background, my grandfather-in-law was the first person to pick up the first television signal in the Netherlands when they broadcasted.

He built his own TV.

In WW2, he got caught sending signals to the English and was thrown into a German work camp. He won't talk about those days, and was liberated from death - days before his execution by the allies.

He still scrapes his plate clean (first one way, then the other)... a testament to having done time in a German camp.

Most of his postwar life was working with Philips, a major Dutch electronic company.

He's my hero and signed the papers when my wife and I got married in Anguilla in 1995.

[trof]

4. Does grandpa-in-law know

Engbert Janinck?
Not sure if I have the last name spelled right.
Engbert was an old friend (deceased now) who was with Philips.
When I knew him he was retired and lived in Delden.