OK so yeah I’m a little younger than most here but I will do this because I do still have ties to people involved in WW2.

1.  I’m sure many kids today have no idea what V-J Day is all about.  Did you have a loved one who fought in WWII

Both my grandfathers did. On my mom’s side, he was in the Navy and basically worked on plane/helicopter radios but he never left the US. My paternal grandfather flew med planes in New Guinea and he saw a lot of crazy stuff!

2.  The iconic sculpture from the famous photograph of  “The Unconditional Surrender” has been defaced recently because of the #metoo movement. I know we can get very political about this subject, but just keeping it in the spirit for which it was created, what are your thoughts?

My thoughts are that a.) people need to stop putting the things we understand better today on the past and b.) everyone needs to think for a second and stop being so triggered by your initial reaction/emotion. Plain and simple, we all know that not ALL men are awful in the ways these ridiculous feminists think. I’m not excusing bad behaviour but I’m also just not that convinced because I know A LOT of good men.

3.  Terri’s grandson, Tristan, loved playing a game called “Axis & Allies”.  It was quite complicated, took up the entire dining room table, and was not something Terri wanted to play (Grandpa understood it and played though).  Can you name three Axis countries and five of the many Allies (okay to look it up!)?

Oh Lord, I always mess this up. I won’t look it up; just tell me if I am right or wrong. (Also, I love that game.)

Allies: France, England, Spain?

Axis: Japan, Germany Russia?

4.  Terri was surprised to learn that most historians agree that WWII began when Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939. Others say it started when Japan invaded Manchuria on September 18, 1931. And some scholars suggest WWII is actually a continuation of WWI, with a break in between.  Have you ever visited Pearl Harbor in Hawaii or any other WWII memorials around the world?

We didn’t do the full Pearl Harbor experience but when we honeymooned there, we did see it. I don’t recall going to any other sites but chances are, my parents took me to some as a kid.

5.  Calvin Graham was only 12 years old during WWII when he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He won a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart before the Navy found out how old he was.  (God bless him.) Terri doesn’t know any 12-year olds today who could qualify or get away with something like that.  Times are so very different now but (in the US) we do have ROTC in high schools.  Do you know anyone who started in ROTC and went on to enlist in one of the services?

My neighbor’s son is 14 and in Sea Cadets and will probably enlist. I could totally see my middle boy doing it too. He has been into all things military for a long time.

6.  Please tell us something about your week so far.

Busy! With the first week of school for the kids and myself trying to tie up loose ends at this job, I have been all over the place. Plus, the school buses are all kinds of messed up. Every single one of them has been super late. For example, my youngers are supposed to get off at their afternoon stop at 3:30. They have consistently gotten back at 4:10. Elliot’s got home at a relatively reasonable time yesterday but it was still nearly an hour after school let out. The first day, the neighbors got him and they ended up taking him this morning because at 20 mins late, he’d be late for school. I hope they get it together. I know the superintendent is trying his hardest to amend the problems. He’s a good dude. And his wife was Elliot’s science teacher last year and we loved her!