This morning I met a nice fellow walking along the Little Miami River bike path. He is 92 years old and walks on the bike path everyday. He tries to do four miles rain or shine. He was a delightful person so I decided to slow down and walk with him a bit. His name is Bob Connelly.
I noticed that Bob was wearing a ball cap that indicated he might be a World War II veteran. I asked him about his hat. He said he is a WWII navy veteran and went on to talk about his experience. He received two Purple Hearts. He said the first one was no big deal.
The second time he was wounded was in January 1945 in the Phillipines. He was on deck on a landing control craft which had just sent some troops ashore. He ship was struck by a Japanese kamikaze plane which hit its target. A piece of shrapnel hit him in the leg which causes a slight limp in his walk today. The impact of the kamikaze plane created a crater in his ship which he fell into. He said falling into the hole probably save his life. The kamikaze impact created an explosion and fire which ignited the ammunition onboard. He said 50 caliber rounds were exploding all around the ship. He was struck in the head by one. His metal combat helmet took the impact and he was knocked unconscious for three days. Other men were not so lucky. A few were ripped apart from the exploding ammo. In all 35 men died in that kamikaze attack. The injuries he sustained ended his military career.
It was then that realized I was walking with a real military hero and tears came to my eyes. You can hike all the miles you want on the Appalachian Trail but you probably won't encounter any 92 year old WWII vets who have two Purple Hearts.
