The Greatest Generation. For Real!

My uncle, Vic Pruchinski, lives in Garfield Heights. He was like my other uncles, entertaining all the nieces and nephews at family gatherings, telling jokes, and generally showing everybody a good time. He also served in World War II, like my other uncles and a lot of other very special people, but never really spoke about it.
A few weeks back I met up with a good friend, Tom Swope, who told me about the Veterans History Project. Tom and a group of volunteers have been recording oral histories for the Library of Congress, asking vets about their experiences. I put him in touch with my Uncle Vic who, surprisingly, said he would sit down with Tom for an interview.
We all met on a Saturday, and I have to admit that I sat there in awe as Uncle Vic told Tom about the Battle of Bulge, liberating Germany, and his time overseas. He didn’t hold back, and I couldn’t help but think how brave he was, not only to fight in that war, but to recall it as vividly as he did. At the end of the interview, Tom asked about the end of the war. Uncle Vic shrugged and said, “We had a job, we did it. I came home and got another job.” It turns out a lot of returning vets felt the same way.
Now keep in mind that these interviews are being archived and will be studied for hundreds of years. It’s important work, and it‘s people like Tom who are keeping that history alive. You should, too. Here’s how:
If you know a WWII vet, contact Tom at: swopetunes@ juno.com

It’s absolutely vital to get these first hand experiences recorded for future generations. In fact, the men and women who fought in World War II are called “the greatest generation”, and they proved it. These were people who lined up to serve, even if they were a day short of high school graduation or married just a few weeks. They had a job to do, and they did it. I’m really proud of Uncle Vic. Oh, and one more thing….
At the end of the interview, Vic let loose with a few jokes. Hey…it’s in the blood line!