Sounds like a couple of the guys I used to work with. Funny thing is, I have a neighbor who's a WWII vet, he owns a Toyota, and has had a few Volkswagens (including a couple buggies) over the years. I figure if he can forgive and forget, somebody who didn't even live through it could as well.
Now, regarding the purple Auto World copies- it's just like the red ones, right- only a handful of each will be molded in the metallic purple?