The National Geographic Channel's "The Mighty Eighth"...

I came across the show by accident last week, but it was almost over. So, I set the DVR to record it when it came on again. Today I watch it.

I'm glad I did.

It was the National Geographic Channel's The Mighty Eighth; Heroes of the Sky. 

There's been books written, movies filmed, documentaries made about the battles over the skies of Europe during World War Two. I watched the program with interest, you see, my father was one of those tens of thousands of soldiers who went to England and thankfully, he returned.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to ever talk to him about his experiences, and maybe he wouldn't even want to discuss it, but I think there would be some details he could tell his children about. He passed away when I was eight-years old, and a child had other things on his mind to ask his father.

The majority of the documentary focused on the problems the Eighth Air Corp had between 1942 and 1944 when they suffered huge losses. My father enlisted and was sent oversees in 1944, near the end of the war. I don't even know how many missions he flew, and being a tail gunner on a B-17, I wonder if he had any stories of engaging the enemy.

This weekend, we turn our attention to those who serve and bled and died for us. It's a debt that forever remains unpaid, because there's no way for us to repay it. Thanks Dad, for all you did, and thanks to the others who did the same.