When he was told he had only weeks to live, his response was telling. He was calm and at peace. At 82, he told his children, he had lived much longer than he expected.

He had fought in World War II, after all — the “big one” as he called it. He had survived four amphibious invasions. He described the terror he felt wading onto the beaches of Sicily as gunners tried to mow him down.

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Tom Purcell hosts his syndicated column, humor books and funny videos featuring his dog, Thurber, at TomPurcell.com. Email him at Tom@TomPurcell.com.

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