Well MommaT Turned 86 Today...

[dflprincess]

36. Just curious - was it heart problems?

(BTW I was 11).

My dad had a heart attack in December of 1964 and a second one in March of '65. When he was in the hospital someone from the VA showed up to talk to him because they were trying to figure out why so may Pacific Air Corp vets (I assume of any branch of the service) were having heart problems so early.

My sister-in-law is a hair stylist and had a client whose husband was a B-25 pilot in the Pacific. He and his entire crew were all gone from heart disease before they were 60 (some much younger).

Years later it was admitted that they'd pump the air crews full of speed to keep them alert. Not that that necessarily means there was a cause and effect between that and the heart problems but it does make me wonder if it did some damage. Pop did smoke so there were certainly other factors involved.

When my Mom died I found Pop's service records among her stuff. He was apparently grounded for a while as he was exhibiting signs of battle fatigue. The symptoms listed all matched amphetamine use as well. Again, it just makes me wonder.