During a vacation in Florida (some time during the 70's I believe) I had car problems and had to wait in a G.M. dealership shop while waiting for a part to be delivered. The mechanic working on my car and I were chatting when the shop foreman came over and told the mechanic that he wanted him to work on a Japanese import. The mechanic told his boss flat out that he would quit before he would work on a Japanese car. An argument broke out while the foreman tried to save face in front of his customer but he eventually left and tried to find another mechanic who would do the work.
Turned out the mechanic who was working on my car had been in the Second War where he had fought the japs. He had such bitter memories he refused to have anything to do with any product that came out of Japan.
During my work career I met a German builder who worked in our city. During an evening get together one time he said he had been in the Luftwaffe during the second war. According to him he said many of the pilots were drunk or partially so when ever they flew. He thought the majority of them expected to be killed every time they went up. Eventually he became a multi millionaire and his name became a hallmark for quality buildings both here and in the U.S.
One of my uncles was in the reserves prior to the second war. He signed up and eventually became a captain by the end of hostilities.
By the end of the war I was only 9 years old so never had to serve.
Jim
