This is a book about a proud group of Americans who meet monthly for lunch in the San Francisco Bay Area. They don’t draw attention to themselves, but meet to share memories, friendship and to reminisce. They’re from all over our country and beyond, and from all walks of life. Unless we look closely and engage them, we won’t understand what they’ve done for our country and for the world at a critical time…when we needed them most. Even today, as the most senior of our citizens, this group of World War II veterans, from all branches of service, represents the best of what America has to offer. Collectively, with affection, admiration and respect, we call them The Third Thursday Lunch Bunch. Included in the book are some of the following stories: One of the first American airmen shot down over Europe, captured by the SS, A 13 year-old American boy captured in the Philippines and imprisoned for 3 ½ years by the Japanese, A young boy who witnessed the Pearl Harbor attack from a hospital ship anchored in the harbor, A battle-hardened infantryman in the Pacific who shared dinner and a wonderful evening with Eleanor Roosevelt, A B-29 navigator who participated in the first raid on Japan after the Doolittle raid, A B-26 pilot, whose plane was attacked by Messerschmitt fighters over Germany, A young machine gunner rushed into combat for the first time during the Battle of the Bulge whose unit was attacked within hours by an SS battalion, A P-51 Mustang pilot who accidentally flew into the mushroom cloud over Nagasaki. These are a few of the 20+ stories included in this book, suitable for all ages.