Preserving the stories of our WWII veterans
Reporter: Maggie Vespa
TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) - Their stories make up our nation's history, and it's a history that we are losing, with each passing day.
That is, unless we take the time, on Veteran's Day or any other, to stop and listen.
87 year-old Ted Dore won't offer it, unless you ask.
"It was 1943, and everybody was doing something, and I thought 'If i went into the navy, those guys always have clean bunks and everything as opposed to the army,'" he said.
A Naval airman in World War II and again in Korea, Dore now volunteers at the Pima Air & Space Museum, doling out facts and figures about these pieces of history, rarely including first person accounts.
He says he doesn't want to boast.
"I have a certain amount of knowledge that I can help guests who come here and have questions about the airplanes," he said.
Though National Guardsman Aaron Johnson wishes he would.
"There's definite connections between generations, and, like I said earlier, the concerns are the same. 'How's your family doing? Am i going to make it back? Will I see them again?'"
For Johnson, who has served two tours in Iraq, those stories provide comfort.
For those a little younger, they are eye opening.
"both my grandfathers were in the military, so it's really cool when you have a connection," said 13 year-old Dustin McCorkle.
"If some of the people who died in WWII and stuff didn't serve, then we wouldn't be here right now, and it's just really awesome that they served and died for us," said 11 year-old Clayton McCorkle.
As vistors of all ages come and go, Dore and his colleagues stand by, ready to share.
"I guess the bottom line is education, learning about the airplanes and the era that the different ones come from."
Remaining though, forever humble.
"And of course some people don't care much about airplanes. They just come to look at the pretty colors."
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