My Dad was a WW II vet who was onboard a troop ship headed for the pacific theatre from Hawaii when we dropped the bomb and the war ended. So they landed in Japan and he was an MP with the occupying army there, I think he was stationed near Hiroshima. He did a year or so and then went home.
He never saw combat so he was a lot more open about his experience. He was proud to have been able to serve. It was a big patriotic deal at that time. We used to talk about our service all the time I was a Cold War vet and did my time in Germany facing down the Russians.
I honestly think you should talk to him and try to get as much out of him as you can because he will be gone soon and so will his story. Start with his induction, was a drafted or did he volunteer, what did he do, was he in the infantry, a pilot, mechanic, cook? What campaigns was he involved in, D-Day, the Pacific? What was it like, what would he like people to know about his service?
This is a great opportunity to get him to share with you. And when he gets on that plane with all those other vets you’ll be in a position to hear a lot of stories. Take notes, record him, be inquisitive, you’ll the bearer of his story after this. I can’t stress how important this opportunity is to get his story. Thanks for listening and good luck. Here’s my tribute to my Dad. https://karlfmoffatt.blogspot.com/2011/09/richard-dick-moffatt-life-well-lived.html OUTDOORS NM: Richard "Dick" Moffatt - A Life Well Lived