My daughter (11yro) has a profound interest in WWII. She asked and has been invited to chat with my grandfather (96yro) about his time in service. He has previously been fairly silent on the issue, but we don't have him for much longer so this is special. What are some sound questions she should ask him that are unique and may be you wish you could ask? Also are there topics we should avoid? He was drafted, army, involved in Normandy, and purple heart awarded. Thanks for your help. Edit: Spelling
I’d record his unit... company, regiment, division.
Ask him easy questions first to ease him into it... what was training like, what was the food like.
Then where he served and what function.
Don’t ask him if he killed anyone.
Also suggest recording family tree as far as he can recall if you haven’t done so.
Did he meet any 96 year old civil war vets in his youth?
I wish I could say. I tried with my grandfather before he passed, and he told me a little more than he had anyone else in the family. I started asking about navigation by star (he was a navigator on a B-17 in the pacific), and progressed into details about what he did. It went ok on technical details until he mentioned that he worked in the bomb bay once, and was supposed to report on whether or not the target had been destroyed. At this point he stopped talking. And then went on to say that he was lucky to be a navigator, because he could retreat to the cabin and not watch the bombing runs. He shut down the conversation after that. My point is that WWII was an incredibly painful experience for everyone involved. I really wish that I knew what questions I could have asked that wouldn't have "shut him down" on the topic. If I knew the answer to your question, I would love to tell you.
If I had another chance, I would ask more about the guys he served with, who they were, and what they were like.
I would love to know what sort of lessons he learned by fighting in such a war. What lasting effects it had on him and how it helped to make him into who he is today.