History I can almost touch

 Watching Spielberg's and Hanks' "Band of Brothers" on Netflix. Powerful, moving. A date came up for one of the actions and I realized I was 2 years old when all this happened. And then a guy says he's from Tonawanda near where my family lived at the time. The connection I felt with this history for a moment was almost tangible.

Band of Brothers Wikipedia

 And now a second connection as I watch the same crew's "The Pacific." The first two episodes dealt with the battle for Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. The assault was made under the command of Marine Lt. Col. Chesty Puller who during the course of his career became the most decorated Marine ever and is prominent in the first two episodes. (And maybe more)

The young Marine in Korea.

The connection? Fast forward to the Korean War. I was 8 to 11 years old during that period. My friend Joe May, who died recently, was a young Marine only about seven years older than I was, but fighting in that conflict, though perhaps not initial years. I know he was there in 1953 when I was 11 and he would have been 18, old enough to be a Marine. Puller commanded the 1st Marine Regiment in the early part of that war and was later promoted to Brigadier General. I believe Joe was a member of that regiment and he often spoke of his respect for Puller. Again I felt that thin connection to history, and to Joe.

The Pacific Wikipedia

Gen. Chesty Puller Wikipedia

Two Marines take the Korean conflict to a whole new level