Twin boys reunited with their World War II hero
CHARLESTON, S.C. -- It all began in Raleigh, North Carolina, with a flurry of plastic bombshells. A few years ago, 11-year-old twins -- Carter and Jack Hanson-- got really into the game Battleship. That got them interested in naval warfare in general, which eventually led to a family vacation to see the Yorktown - a retired aircraft carrier in Charleston, South Carolina.
"My mind was just blown," said Carter.
The kids say the Yorktown changed their lives.
"I just realized how amazing history can be," added Carter.
And it was about to get even better. On that same trip the boys learned about a World War II veteran named Robert Harding who actually served on the Yorktown. They got his email address, started corresponding daily, and became really enamored.
The boys keep his picture by their beds and if you ever go to the Yorktown with them, as we did, they'll chew your ear off about Mr. Harding and what he did onboard as a plane handler.
The folks who run the Yorktown say a lot of kids love the ship, but no kid has ever fallen for a sailor who served on the vessel like these two boys have fallen for Mr. Harding. Which is why, for this trip, the Yorktown made special arrangements for a surprise visitor: Mr. Harding.
The boys ran to embrace him; hugging an old salt never felt so sweet.
It was hard to tell who enjoyed it more, or who needed it more. Over the years Mr. Harding says he'd kept most of his war stories to himself.
"I guess I needed somebody to talk to about it," said Mr. Harding. "It's surprising the way it worked out."
The kids, all three of them, spent the rest of the day exploring the ship and making memories. Since CBS News first told this story in April, Mr. Harding and the boys have stayed in touch. Last month they got together again at the Yorktown, this time for an entire weekend.
The boys spent the night on the ship -- and even better, they got to attend a reunion full of sailors who served on the Yorktown. The sailors gave Jack and Carter certificates naming them honorary members of the Yorktown crew.
The boys could barely contain their excitement. "This is going in my room," Jack exclaimed.
"I don't even know what to say, this was just awesome! I mean -- an official member of Yorktown - it's been my dream," Carter added.
Whoever said history is irrelevant obviously never fell in love with it.
"We don't know about how we've changed his life, but we know that he obviously changed ours," said Carter.
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