Since we are now celebrating our nation's 250th birthday, I thought it appropriate to preserve my recollections of conversations with World War 2 vets over the past many decades.  Some of these are stories I heard in my childhood, others from as a middle-aged adult talking to people I interviewed.  I don't know if their stories were ever recorded.  So, I thought I'd give you my rendering of what they went through.  I know I have not captured even a fraction of what they experienced.  Some of these stories are about people who never saw combat; others saw it up close and personal.  I hope you enjoy this little window into the past.