Warbird Information Exchange

I am very hesitant to approach Veterans about their war experiences. I haven't seen hardly any SBD photos here. I know a man that road back seat on SBD'S during the war. Please give me some openers to get the conversation started so as to get him to give me copies of his photos.thanks

I would simply ask him straight up.

"Sir, I am a performing research on X type aircraft and was wondering if you would be willing to have me ask some questions about your experience, as I am very interested in hearing it from a person with your background and experience in these types of aircraft" I would fully understand if you didn't but I feel that your accomplishments would be a great benefit to preserving accurate historical information for generations to come."


Something along that lines. Most Veterans from WWII in my experience have been very helpful and very friendly because in fact, your interested in hearing them and everything that they accomplished.


However, my experinece with Vietnam Vets have been the opposite. Because of the war and what they went through coming home, it left a bad taste in their mouths, so it is very wise to know ahead of time, if they feel like talking about it, in a more general sense. Like my two uncles, to this day, when I start talking about things, they pretty much do not want anything to do with repeating what they saw or did over there. It makes them very uneasy.

Just my two pennies.

Thanks Paul.