Abstract

Communicative competence has a direct impact on quality of life, particularly with integration into society and maintaining meaningful relationships. This qualitative study explored communicative competence in the context of testimonial language of twenty-two World War II (WWII) pilot veterans who shared their wartime experiences via semi-structured interviews. The study examined communicative competence in terms of overall coherence and evaluative language. Several factors contributed to their overall high levels of communicative competence in testimonial language: autobiographical memory, enhanced by auditory and visual memory, strong identity as veterans, wisdom in later life, and generativity. Connecting past experiences with present life reflected high coherence, in addition to the careful selection and description of events influencing their lives. Coherence was further manifested in the ability to tailor stories to the listener. Participants used evaluative language to convey emotions, reflections on one’s life, as well as judgments and moral values. Themes, such as redemption, reconciliation, positivity, and gratitude were evident in their reflections of war. In conclusion, sharing wartime testimonies served as a beneficial experience for the majority of pilot veterans who showed willingness to convey their stories and wisdom to younger generations. These testimonies continue to preserve society’s collective memory.