My grandfather, Fred Miner, fought in WWII. He passed away in 2003. When I was growing up, I remember hearing about how he was in a plane crash in France at the end of the war. While we were clearing out some old papers, I found this copy of him telling the story. 
This story has almost legendary status in my mind. When I was younger I didn’t always appreciate older people like my dad and my grandfather, but as I get older I see more who they were because I am myself closer to the age they were at when I knew them. The generations that came before shaped the world we now live in, but they may not have been thinking of it in those terms. They were often just ordinary people trying to do the next thing that made sense.
Earthen Vessel 
What an incredible story, Noah! I wish I had known your grandfather. Was he married at the time of this event, or did that come later?
My mom says that he met my grandmother while in the service on leave. They got married after the wreck and his discharge.