We Never Met

I had two uncles that I never had the chance to get to know. One was a pilot during World War II, who made it through combat unscathed. He kept flying private aviation and died in a crash on a golf course when I was a baby. The other uncle was that same Aunt's first husband. He met his end when his B-24 Liberator blew up over the English Channel in 1944. That uncle was Nathan "Ned" Hatkoff. He had the world in the palm of his hand before the war. He played in the band under Spike Jones and came from a prosperous family. Ned gave his all for all of us. Ned Hatkoff will be commemorated today, along with hundreds of thousands of other heroes.