The Importance of studying History

[Gene C]

This past week I had the privilege to meet and talk with Col. Vince Masters, who is 96 years old, and flew 28 bombing missions during World War 2. On one mission, his plane was damaged, they ran out of fuel and had to land the plane in the Atlantic during weather so bad a rescue boat had to wait till the following day to look for them. They were barely able to get out of the plane and into the inflatable life boat (that they had to pump up while they were in the ocean), and had to spend the night in the life raft during the storm. Not all the crew survived. He continued to serve during the war as a fighter pilot and fly escort planes after the required number of bombing missions had been flown.

As we sat around his dining table with his photo albums he shared his experiences with us. His memory was quite clear after 70 years, and he enjoyed sharing his experiences with a small group of 5 people who were interested and knew a little about what he had been through. It was an honor to meet and spend a little over an hour with him.

While you are still able, record some of your life experiences for your children, grandchildren and future generations. They will be interested in what life was like before cell phones, laptop computers, email and big screen tv. What was school like when you were in 3rd grade. Who was the first person you voted for. What were your favorite TV shows. How did you and your spouse meet? It's all a part of history to them.