She said he was a really nice gentleman, and she commented that he had a couple old wounds she asked about, and he said they were "bullet wounds from World War II", so she told me she said "Thank you so much for your service; we need more like you...".
I asked her how he responded, and she said he just kind of nodded awkwardly, and she figured he was embarrassed at her compliment.
I started grinning and she asked "What...???" but I wouldn't tell her what I was grinning about until the end of the day (partly because the whole story takes some time to tell, and partly just because I'm sadistic and wanted her to have to wait).
The story is that he was growing up in Germany, and at age 14 years old or so, when the Nazi soldiers told him he was now a 'soldier', he didn't want to go, but they let him know his family would be killed, and the females 'enjoyed' beforehand, if he didn't go. So this guy she "thanked for his service" was in fact a Nazi Soldier...
![Surprised :o](./images/smilies/icon_surprised.gif)
![Laughing :lol:](./images/smilies/icon_lol.gif)
I asked him how he survived the war, and even though he's a big guy (I picture him in his late teens as one BIG Kraut Soldier), he said he just tried not to get shot, by either the enemy (us), or by his officers (for not fighting hard enough). After the war, he reunited with a school sweetheart, and got the heck out of Germany, winding up here.
One of the nicest guys I've known, but boy what a history of his youth...!