I had always known my maternal Grandpa had fought in a war, but I could never remember which one and when I was younger I never bothered to ask or try to get information about it. When this assignment came along, I was actually really looking forward to the opportunity to learn all about his experiences and be able to record it on video. It was fascinating to hear about the stories of my Grandpa training to be a fighter pilot and narrowly escaping death a few times. I loved hearing about his friends and what they did in their free time. Especially now when we are in a war, I found it really interesting to hear a first hand account of how the military operates and how the soldiers commonly feel. I can’t even imagine having joined the military when I was 17 and leaving my family to fight in a foreign country for a country that didn’t even consider it a war. I think my Grandpa, like most soldiers, didn’t fight for the glory of being a soldier, but instead to protect our country and the world.

One interesting thing I learned about my Grandpa was that when he went to graduate school, he was about 32 and he already had a family. He didn’t hang out with other veterans, but instead his closest friends were a Catholic nun and an Indian woman. 

I am really grateful for this experience because I know my family and I will treasure the video for many years and I was able to become more knowledgeable about the man who has played such a huge role in my life as a role model.