He didn't tell the story he would have written in his youth. Now 52, he exchanged action for more dialogue and character development to tell the fictional story of a handful of men who survived the Malmedy Massacre.

Panos is frequently asked to speak about his association with the old heroes of the great war. He can rarely get through a speech without choking up.

"It was a special generation. I saw John Wayne in all of them.

"They were men. They grew up in the Depression. Then they went to war. I really hated the late '60s and '70s. My generation suffered from prolonged adolescence."

Choking back tears, he continues: "It always breaks my heart to go through (recordings of) the interviews. Almost all of these men are dead.

"They're telling me all these details about their lives. I deal with ghosts and spirits. These are my friends, and they're almost all gone. They told me I'd be the last one, and it's true. Oh, man, I loved those guys. I loved 'em."

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Doug Robinson's column runs on Tuesday. Please send e-mail to drob@desnews.com.