WEBVTT

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(playful harmonica music)

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(camera shutter clicking)

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- There was a lot of times
that they would see us

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coming in and we were
fired on, definitely.

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When flak is coming at
you and my pilot is moving

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and diving, yes, there
was many, many times

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I said, "Lord, you gotta
get me through this

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'cause I wanna go back and see my wife

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and all my children."

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Those are the things
that go through your mind

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that take away some of the fear

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and so forth that you're in combat.

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If you didn't have that type of feeling,

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if you were not married or you didn't have

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a girlfriend or somebody
back there in the States,

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a lot of people really suffered for it

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because, you know,
mentally you're relieving

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a lot of pressure that way
and it does you real good.

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- And then the last
thing, I know you said you

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kind of forgot how to play.

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- Oh. (laughs)

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- But if you could you
just play around with it,

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mess around with it.

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- Oh man.

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(harmonica music)

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71 years.

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And you think about my
life as a photographer,

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you have to give the credit where

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really is credit due

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is a wife of 71 years.

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November 25th, 1943.

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My precious darling.

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Maybe I don't have you
here to be thankful for

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but I'm very thankful for having such

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a sweet and loving wife and
what more could I ask for?

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Of course, it would be so nice to be home

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and have you and the baby in my arms

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and cook me one of your lovely dinners.

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I hope you have a very lovely

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and happy Thanksgiving
and the children are well.

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Take care and I hope to be with them

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next Thanksgiving.

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We had cold dinners of Spam and spuds

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and cold tomatoes.

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Tomorrow you'll have your dinner

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and the home is lovely.

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Love, Joe Renteria.

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- [Interviewer] If you
could send her a message,

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if you could talk to her right now,

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what would you say?

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- [Joe] Honey, wait for me.

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[Interviewer] And what do
you think she'd say to you?

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- [Joe] Hurry up.

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Don't waste any time.