Dad was a Seabee during his stint. He told me a story of bumping into someone accidentally in a crosswalk in Honolulu. He looked up to apologize and was amazed to see his own younger brother Sam, who had grown up in a separate household. Dad (when he was about two years old) and his two siblings were orphaned by the Flu epidemic, and they all went to different relatives.
Dad had never mentioned anything about the war with my family until he was in his late 90's, and then the stories flowed as clearly as if they had occurred the day before. Two of my Uncles on my mother's side served on the USS HORNET during the battle of Midway.
We lost him a little over 5 years ago---4 days after his 98th birthday.