I got in contact with a pal of mine from our WWII bomb group in the ETO. He and his wife came up from Los Angeles for a visit on 21 July. We used to pal around with a third guy, went to Brussels weekends. After the war ended there were Hitler’s houses in Berchtesgaden, beer houses in Munich etc.
Then and now photos are avalable here: http://f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/bc/dwsimm2000/vwp?.dir=/St+Dp&.dnm=fowler.jpg&.src=ph&.view=t&.hires=t
That is so cool!!
I do have to say, in the “then” picture, your buddy looks like he’s about 10 years old!! What a baby face!
Here’s to old friends…
Wow, very very cool. I just caught up with a friend from high school, but HS was only 10 years ago. Nothing compared to this.
I’m glad you both found each other.
Very cool! 
I like that “then” photo!
Does this mean that today’s version has struck out? (Whimper, whimper)
Well I like the now picture.
It must have been a little dull in the times when the world wasn’t coloured.
No. I like the uniforms and the old European building in the background! 
That’s pretty amazing, Mr. Simmons–
Did you have to dig around to find ‘before’ and ‘after’ pictures that were so strikingly similar? You both have just about the same expressions and posture, and something about the latter photo suggests that you both picked up right where you left off as if no time had passed at all. Did it seem that way to you or is that just the sort of romantic illusion that photos can create sometimes?
That picture of you with the wrecked Messerschmitt is something, too.
What is it about a man in a uniform? Yummm!
Well, we didn’t know any better. I don’t think you miss what you have never had.
I’ll never forget it. We woke up one day and everything was in color, for which we had no word. It took us a little while to adjust but all of us except a few knee-jerk conservatives soon managed it.
That’s so neat! My mom just recently got together with a friend from when we lived in India in the 1950s. She said it was like they’d been in touch through all the intervening years.
Love the photos – you look a couple of happy guys the years have hardly touched!
Well you can have your choice between the dashing aviator in his leather flight jacket or the businesslike Army officer in his blouse.
Oh, you mean you have to be able to wear the uniform? Well, that’s kind of unfair.
That very touching, Mr. Simmons. Thanks for sharing the pictures with us.
Oh, and a very belated but extremely sincere “Thank you” for everything you did sixty years ago. We’ll never forget.
