[Peter_Spaeth]

My dad, who passed away two years ago, and was of German-Jewish background himself, served in WW II including the Battle of the Bulge. Like many or most I suspect, he didn't talk about it, except on rare occasions you could draw him out a little. It was clear that two things really stood out for him decades later -- the memory of facing live rounds, and the anti-Semitism he witnessed among his fellow soldiers.

It wasn't until the 1970s that he was able to face returning to Germany, which he did as part of a trip to Europe. At the border, of course, he was asked for his passport. He told the official, "I didn't need a passport the last time I crossed this border." It was cathartic for him, I think. He even ended up owning a Mercedes.

Late in life, he began to wear a ball cap that identified him as a veteran. He was truly surprised and touched how many strangers came up to him to talk and to thank him in restaurants, etc.

On a final note, even though it probably was offensive, I found Larry David's riff on thanking veterans for their service (he refuses to thank one at a party, just because he doesn't feel like it) hysterical.