Maximilion Morris was a young army recruit shortly after the United States entered World War II. Everybody called him, "Mac". His Irish drill sergeant went easy on him, as he thought this nice Jewish Brooklyn boy's name was, "McMorris", and therefore a fellow Irishman. He survived the war to raise a son and two daughters with his wife. No one knows if he ever marched in New York's St. Patrick's Day Parade.

Franz sat in a jail cell in his hometown of Trier, Germany towards the end of the war. He had refused to serve in Hitler's army, and was sentenced to be hanged very shortly. Meanwhile, his five American nephews were serving in the U.S. armed forces all over the world. One of them even parachuted into France during the D-Day invasion. A few days before he was to be executed, the Americans took the town, and Franz ended up living a long happy post-war life. His nephews would return stateside and also live long lives.

In the South Pacific, Coast Guardsman Bruno was a radioman on a transport ship named the "Hunter Ligget". During the battle of Guadalcanal, he was slated at one point to pilot a landing craft full of marines to the beaches. At the last minute, he was put back on radio duty. He remembers wounded sailors and marines on the deck during the battle, their bodies burned so badly, no one could tell what race they were. After the war, he married and raised four sons.

In Paris, France, Rene - a Parisian fire fighter - met with the occupational German Authorities. There had been another bombing attack by the French Underground, and they needed his advice on how to fight the fire. Naturally, they didn't know that Rene had helped plan the attack and was working hand in glove with the Resistance. When the fighting was over, Rene and his wife migrated to the United States and raised a son.

In Viet Nam, Joe from Perth Amboy was an army truck diver. When the guys in his unit got homesick, they played the Beach Boys. He's married and back in New Jersey.

Mike from Chicago was stationed in a radio communications outpost on a mountaintop. The only way in and out was by helicopter. When they weren't handling communications or dodging enemy fire, they were killing poisonous snakes. When last heard from, he was still in the army, stationed stateside.

A few years ago, there was a Native American pow-wow in New York State. At one point in the opening ceremonies, veterans were invited into the circle. Nudged and elbowed by their wives and significant othres, they came into the center of the field and began introducing themselves to each other; name, branch of service, and where they had served.

People who were currently on active duty were also invited up by the Chief, and the veterans faced a line of young service people; men and women of all colors and ethnicities. The vets and young GIs shook hands, and the sentiment voiced was always the same: "Be careful, and come home safe."