Posted by Bob Thompson on Wednesday, December 10, 2003 at 10:00PM :
In Reply to: ot talk to the old timers before they are gone posted by dave on Wednesday, December 10, 2003 at 8:37PM :
First, let me apologize for the length of this reply.
When I was in High School there was a Rest Home situated on my path to and from home.
Though many of my classmates passed by, I was the only one who took the time to stop and chat with these folks. They proved to be a wealth of knowledge about a myriad of subjects. One gentleman happened to ask if we had covered the Mexican Expedition. I told him it was coming up and he was pleased to tell me that he was a veteran of that campaign. In addition, one of the other residents had been in the opposition.These were men who rode with or against Blackjack Pershing and Pancho Villa respectively.And they had some great stories to tell. Both had documentation and trophies of their activities. When I presented my report to my class the history teacher asked what my sources were. It was quite satisfying to say "eye witnesses" . My teacher chafed a little bit but ultimately agreed to have the two men present an oral history of the era in class. There's nothing like talking to people who were there to get the straight story.
I always think of John Prine's "Hello in there" whenever a veteran or senior asks about one of my old trucks or relates a story.
So take Dave and John's advice, Say hello. What's it going to cost you but a little time?
RDT