Old Pictures

[drywall]

A post on another site got me to thinkin. Old
WWII photos were mentioned in it and it reminded
me of something. When I was a kid my dad would
show me his pictures from his time in the
phillipines in WWII. I think you know the kind of
pictures I mean. 4 or 5 guys standing around
smokin and jokin. Him and his buddies. My uncles
had the same kinds of pictures from the war. When
I was stationed in Germany I got to be friends
with a German guy about my own fathers age. He
took me to his home and showed me his pictures
from WWII. He was a luftwaffe pilot. He had the
same dang pictures. Him and 4 or 5 of his buddies
hamming in up for the camera. Years later it
occurred to me that I too now have the same dang
pictures. Me and my buddies doing the same things
soldiers have been doing forever. Gettin bored and
killin time. Anyway. my point is that we are ALL
pretty much the same. It doesn't matter which uniform
you wore. All we ever wanted to do was to go home.

[Bombardier]

All we ever wanted to do was to go home.

Ill drink to that drywall. 100% correct. :roll:

[HighlandSniper58]

Agreed.

What upsets me is that so many of these pictures are now turning up in junk shops and bargain stores, totally unknown as these old soldiers/sailors/airmen fade away. To me - and I'm sure all of us - this is so tragic that important and treasured memories have gone.

I have a few WW2 pix from my grandfather who was in the BEF, evacuated at Dunkirk, fought across the western desert, then landed on d-day, through France and into Germany. Sadly grada-Dick died in 1960, I barely knew him - these photos apart from the pictures with him identifable in them are so anonymous.

PLEASE, PLEASE..........if your relatives are alive, get names, captions, dates onto the backs of these pix before it is too late.

Also remember that photos fade and deteriorate, if you can, scan them or get them scanned and onto CD ASAP to preserve them for future generations. If you need any advice on archving pictures, PM me - don't waste those memories.

[Bombardier]

Another good thing to do is ....post them on our site and proudly show them to the world. :mrgreen: