Thanks for bringing this back again. I remember it well. It reminds me of the night back in 2007 when I handed my DCM Garand to my uncle who had carried one as a young marine in the latter stages of the Pacific theater. He said he hadn't seen one "in person" or even touched one since 1945. But as he held it and ran his fingers over it he started to recall the M-1 very well. From what he told me about it I knew right away that once upon a time, long ago and far away; he knew that rifle very well. After 62 years I was amazed at how well it all came back to him. One of the last things he said about it that night was: "These are good rifles". He passed on in 2010 and the local American Legion did the rifle salute at his graveside service; with M-1's, of course. It seemed very fitting to me; and as I stood there at the graveside while they fired them, I knew he would have been pleased to know that they were using "good rifles".
