I'm Interviewing WWII and Vietnam Veterans Who Have Been Friends Since High School

[blacksam]

Hey guys, I just landed my first real interview job and don't want to botch it up too bad.

I met with the most amazing group of 21 elderly people in the area. They're all close friends. I mean these are guys who were deployed in different areas and wrote letters to each other. They are close as all get out. They're the definition of friendship.

Just to give you an idea of what conversations with them are like.
"England was cold, wet, and gray. I will never go back."
"You think that is bad? Norway was all of that and you can't pronounce 3/4ths of the menu."

"Don't interview him, he's such a pain in the ass there isn't enough hemroid cream to fix him."

One older fellow was buying scones. "Don't think I'm going to eat these all by myself, my wife would kill me for not sharing."

"You want to work in film? Why would you want to work with half naked women, make money, and work with politicians when you could just run for congress."

A little story, one man's son had died in a car crash, the wife feeling defeated became extremely depressed. He had to leave for business, all his buds brought her food and checked up on her while he was away.

One of them was in hospice last summer, they sat with him and played cards, and waited for him to die, but it never happened because he beat cancer.

Now they meet every day for breakfast, just hanging out talking about anything and everything. These are men who are the most interesting characters I have ever met. They are humorous, honorable, and humble

I'm overwhelmed as I'm not the history buff, some were POWs, some are former pilots and navy men. What do I ask them, FP?

[Nightsure]

Ask them how they dealt with the transition from military back to civilian wife, more over what their thoughts are on how things have changed since the days of World War Two and what their thoughts on the future could be given hindsight on the past.

[Moustacheman]

Most of the stuff they say reminds me of my Uncle Helmut, or my Great Grampa Ronald.

[lintz]

Did they meet any opposing soldiers that they shared a mutual respect for?

[Shadowwalker]

How did they met? Did they met in the army or out side?

[Rangergxi]

When you find interesting people like this, simply ask for the stories or try to get them to tell them.. :smile:
-record dis shit

Ask them about their friendships and how they met eachother. Perhaps bring up the actual politic's of the conflict and the cultural trend's of the times. Since they were different period's of war you could discuss the differences such as the treatment as returning veterans and the actual combat[should probably avoid].

[trotskygrad]

[QUOTE=Rangergxi;40068492]When you find interesting people like this, simply ask for the stories or try to get them to tell them.. :smile:
-record dis shit

Ask them about their friendships and how they met eachother. Perhaps bring up the actual politic's of the conflict and the cultural trend's of the times. Since they were different period's of war you could discuss the differences such as the treatment as returning veterans and the actual combat[should probably avoid].[/QUOTE]

well you don't necessarily have to ask about combat if you want to know about their service, you could simply ask how they liked the military life, their memorable experiences with their comrades-in-arms, and how they liked their leaders.