Skip to content

Random Connections

A collection of photography and exploration focusing on Upstate South Carolina and beyond.

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Photos
  • Resources
  • Other Voices
  • Post Archives
  • Home
  • Miscellaneous
  • VE Encounter

VE Encounter

Posted on May 8, 2008 By Tom 1 Comment on VE Encounter
Miscellaneous, Things Overheard

I was running a bit late for lunch today so I decided a quick hamburger at Hardees was in order. As usual, I had my current book with me, and planned to read a couple of chapters while I ate. When I take my book into fast food places, especially around here, I tend to stick out. Today not only did I stick out, but I attracted a bit of attention.

First, let me set the stage. I was sitting a small table off to the side. I had glanced out the window and noticed an old Buick with a front license plate commemorating the 147th Field Artillery Brigade from WWII. I noted it briefly, thinking that we had a WWII vet somewhere here in the restaurant, then returned to my reading.

As I read, an older gentleman walked past and asked if I was reading about history. I had John Lane’s Circling Home with me, so I said that the book did cover some history of Spartanburg. The man then asked me if I knew what today was. Having seen the license plate, and having seen a little news blurb online this morning, I put two and two together and quickly replied that it was VE Day. He seemed genuinely pleased that I knew the significance of the date, and then proceeded to tell me about some of his experiences in WWII.

It was obvious that this man really felt the significance of the date, and that he really wanted to share his memories with someone. His tales were laced with cringe-inducing racial epithets, but I listened attentively and respectfully. The whole encounter only lasted a couple of minutes, and I wished I’d had my little field audio recorder with me. I would have gladly put my book aside to listen to more.

[tags]VE Day, veterans, WWI[/tags]

Tags: storytelling VE Day veterans

Post navigation

❮ Previous Post: Test Drive with the HP 2133 Subcompact
Next Post: PicLens and Apture ❯

One thought on “VE Encounter”

  1. DuckHunter says:
    May 9, 2008 at 8:32 pm

    I love history. This is a great story.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Categories

  • EdTech (200)
  • Entertainment (202)
  • Family (121)
  • Gear (115)
  • General Technology (99)
  • Geocaching and Maps (208)
  • History and Genealogy (266)
  • Internet (144)
  • Local (451)
  • Miscellaneous (550)
  • Music (196)
  • Paddling (248)
  • Photography (779)
  • Podcast (6)
  • Rambling (227)
  • Rants (161)
  • Recipes (34)
  • Religion (48)
  • Restaurants (165)
  • Science (48)
  • Things Overheard (29)
  • Travel (411)
  • Uncategorized (129)
  • Washington Sabbatical (113)
  • Weirdness (60)

Recent Posts

  • In Search of the Road Builder
  • The Phoenix Riots and Dr. Benjamin Mays – An MLK Day Ramble
  • An Obsession with Steak Knives
  • An Epiphany on Patriotism
  • Kayaking Bates Old River and Running Creek

Recent Comments

  • Elizabeth on The Temple of Health: Ground-Truthing in Antreville
  • The Bay Area Basketball Fan’s Guide to March Madness on FU All the Time!
  • Why You Should Root For This March Madness Underdog on FU All the Time!
  • Gregory Davis on Ghost Towns of the Pee Dee – Part 2, Centenary
  • Ivo Otto Deron on Seeking Music in Upstate SC

Tags

blogging cemetery Christmas Columbia Edisto River edtech Entertainment family Flickr Florida Furman Furman University gear Georgia geotagging Ghost Town Ghost Towns Google Earth Google Maps GPS Greenville Greenville Chorale history Instructional Technology kayaking Lake Jocassee LCU Lowcountry Unfiltered maps Music North Carolina Paddling Photography rambling restaurant Restaurants review singing social networking South Carolina time-lapse Travel video Washington Washington State
March 2023
S M T W T F S
 1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
262728293031  
« Jan    

Copyright © 2023 Random Connections.

Theme: Oceanly by ScriptsTown