He smoked his last cigarette and steadily stared at his fellow soldiers who had been chosen for the job.

We turned then to get a last glance at our farm that now belonged to some fat cat bankers from out East.

Every time the kids complained about how hard life was Abe would chuckle and recall his years slogging through the Pacific Islands fighting hand-to-hand with hardened Japanese soldiers.

Banging on his drums was the only thing that made Todd feel better.

They were dug in so deep when they finally emerged the war had been over for a decade.

Our troubles, foibles and bad habits became fodder for her stories.

"I was a supernova," the now-forgotten musician told me as we sat drinking one early afternoon in a bar that had also lost its allure.