Veteran's Day is coming up. My boss has been after me for months to get a series going of veteran profiles, and so far it hasn't panned out. Part of that is because there is a small pool of veterans, and part of it is my timidity to bring up what could be a sensitive issue.

But for Veteran's Day itself, interviewing a veteran was going to be inevitable. My boss gave me a name and my editor gave me a phone number, and I actually called the gentleman right away. After being rebuked for speaking too softly, he agreed to come by my office for an interview. He'd never heard of the paper and seemed unsure he'd be able to find the building.

I thought he might be crotchety, might be reserved, might be modest. So I decided to remain positive and friendly, and prepared a good list of questions.

But he was fascinating. He talked for an hour and a half, and I was not bored. He was a photographer for the Flying Tigers, and was a commercial photographer and legal forensic photographer following the war. He's been back to China five times and speaks some Chinese. He doesn't have any family left, but every morning he runs his errands and has coffee with the guys and rotates restaurants for lunch. His wife, who passed away in 1981, took care of his food and he took care of the money. I wanted to hear his whole life story.