visit the memorial and had the privilege of meeting a world war ii veteran by the name of major gerald geiger. you were a prisoner of war? >> yes, for 24 hours. >> reporter: how did you get out? >> we came under fire. my guards ran. i ran the other way. i flopped down. i figured if i played dead and they came back looking for me, maybe they would think i'm dead. they didn't come back. so i made it back my troop. on the way i found weapons, ran into germans and captured them. >> wow. >> so you have to be young to do that. >> you're looking pretty good. all these decades later, do you remember it well? >> like it happened yesterday. some things you never forget. it's like a life in technicolor. it's always there. >> reporter: what does it mean to you? >> it means that my life was worth it. i didn't waste my life. i served my country. the most important thing is to serve my country. i did that. i'm grateful for the opportunity. >> what did it feel like to be living in this country at a time when it was so united and the country was behind you? >> oh, i could write you a book about that. we were

visit the memorial and had the privilege of meeting a world war ii veteran by the name of major gerald geiger. >> you were actually a prisoner of war? >> yes. for 24 hours. >> and how did you get out? >> well, we came under fire. and my guards ran and i ran the other way and i popped on. it played like it was there -- they came back looking for me, maybe they think i'm dead. and they didn't come back and i made my way back to my troops. on the way i found my weapons and i ran into some germans and i captured them. >> wow. >> so anyhow. you've got to be young to do that. >> you're looking pretty good. all these decades later do you remember it well? >> like it happened yesterday. some things you never forget. it's a film strip right in front of you. right in front ofme. it's like it's alive and in technicolor and it's always there. >> what does it mean to you? >> what it means, it means that i did -- my life was worth it. i didn't waste my life. i served my country. that's the most important thing, is to serve my country. and i did that and i'm grateful for the opportunity to have served. >> w