TTN,
Nice of you to draw the distinction - but even in war it is a truism that life consists of "95% boredom and 5% sheer terror", and I hadn't got as far as the terror bit when you would've been shaking my hand.
And I've repeatedly made clear that our Burma Vultee Vengeance operations were the safest imaginable: with few exceptions everyone killed in a VV had killed himslf (accidentally, of course), and mostly in training.
As wars go, I suppose I had a "soft"one, but then: "we each had to fight the war we were given" was one of the most profound statements about war ever made. You had to be happy with whatever cards Fate had dealt you. I was one of the lucky ones.
Nevertheless I am content to be a "veteran" - if only on account of my great age !
Danny.