I have to start with the pics of 'our' hero Joe. He visited us twice in our country and we visited him in 2006 for a first time. We´ve been in pretty intesive touch since Sept 2004. During the first 6 months of our friendship I received and sent 200 e-mails (400 in total!). This I´ll never forget.
Anyhow, we got the word that he´s not in a best shape so we decided to go to see him. Someone in the heaven must love me (can´t tell you why) as 3 months ago I won a flight ticket to N.Y.C. in a loterry...
We have visited Joe 3 times during our visit. On Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. He´s still in bed, weak, but orientated. He recognized us and really appreciated our visit. I believe and hope that we lifted his spirit up.
Our last visit was very, very emotional for me. I saw tears in his eyes and I started crying and could stop it...it´s hard to desribe the feelings but he takes me and my friend Anton as his own sons...and I take him as my own grandpa as I have never got to know my grandpa from my mother´ side who passed away before I was born and my grandpa from my father´s side passed away when I was 12...it´s just more than a friendship...
1st pics shows (from L to R) Nic (Joe´s grandson), my friend Anton and me in front of VA Hospital in New Jersey. Second one- Joe with me, third one shows Joe with a plate that was shown him from a mayor of Rudice, a small village where Joe´s Fort went down, fourth pic shows Joe with a picture made up by my son Tommy and fifth picture shows us in front of POW´s stone close to this hospital.