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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 11,377 Likes: 105
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 11,377 Likes: 105 |
Wreath laying ceremony at the WWII Memorial on the Washington DC Mall, 06 Jun 2021, commemorating the sacrifices made by the troops in that great endeavor in Europe. This wreath was laid by the 82nd Airborne Association, and for this go-round remembered my father: Impressive. Must've been a touching moment for you. Speaking of impressive, whenever I think of the 82d, I remember the simple urn of earth in their museum at Ft Bragg. Sent by the residents of Ste Mere Eglise--free soil from the first town to be liberated that day.
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Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 3,728 Likes: 50
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 3,728 Likes: 50 |
I was inducted into Army December 15, 1965, I had been told by some of my father's friends that he was a POV during WWII. He never spoke about any of it and I never questioned him but on the day I was inducted he drove me to the induction center and on the way he told me that 24 months wasn't so bad as he was held captive for 28 months in Germany. One of his guards spoke English very well as he was a student in Chicago, he told my dad that if he had known about the war he would have never left the U.S.A. My dad also told me his whole company was captured in Africa. God Bless them all.
It is typical that our illustrious leader would not publicly acknowledge June 6. POS
David
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 890
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 890 |
That had to be one helluva place to realize you were in. Back then,my dads neighbor lost his son on one of those beaches. the army actually sent a picture of him ,where fallen,as he lay,to the parents. I dont know if that was commonplace back then,or the story was BS.
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Joined: May 2006
Posts: 327 Likes: 11
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 327 Likes: 11 |
My uncle Frank was a torpedo man on DD619 the Edwards, a destroyer. At the end of the war they where given a cruise book, something like a high school year book. My father read it and said that it was like reading a fiction story. The ship was blessed by not losing one man the entire war. He gave that book to someone lost to time. I wish I had it! Uncle Frank was a happy go lucky guy and also didn't talk about the war. I tried to get some stories out of him but all I got was "Yea I was there". The ship certainly saw a lot of action and received 13 battle stars. A jap plane dropped a torpedo meant for them and as it got close to the ship a wave broke and lifted the torpedo so that it came out of the water went OVER the bow and kept on going. They almost bought it that time. A kamikazi attacked them and the wing hit the radar antenna, broke the wing off leaving it hanging on the antenna. The rest of the plane dropped harmlessly into the ocean. He did tell me that he was lucky to have a dry bunk and good meals and felt bad for the marines that they where supporting during their landings knowing they where sleeping in the mud and eating K rations. I said to him that was true but they where losing people on land as individuals and that could add up to quite a few casualties. When they take a ship out you lose hundreds at one time. They had it rough. The bomber crews, submarine crews, infantry and Marines, and all the rest. If they didn't lose life or limb they all lost their youth with some years of their life stolen from them. God bless them all!
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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 256 Likes: 5
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 256 Likes: 5 |
I had the chance to visit the Normandy beaches in 2018 it was all very moving. I have lived in Germany now for 19 years and my neighbours father who passed a few years ago at 93 was a medic at Stalingrad and he was on one of the last flights out as he had been wounded, the stories are the same on both sides. The leaders play their games and the little man always pays the bill bless em all.
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Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 352 Likes: 33
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 352 Likes: 33 |
It is right that we remember June 6th, 1944 and the sacrifices made there by Americans, British, Canadians and numerous other Allied countries.
However there were other theaters of war that deserve to be remembered as well:
Italy, where Americans (of all colors), British, New Zealanders, Indians, Nepalese, Poles and other Allies fought against determined German resistance as the Allies moved north.
The Chinese, Burma, India (CBI) theater, where British, Indians, Nepalese and Americans fought against the Japanese in the jungles of Burma, while the Chinese also fought against the Japanese in China and Northern Burma. The sacrifices made in the CBI tied up Japanese troops that could have been used against the US Marines, the US Army and the Australians in the Pacific & Southwest Pacific campaigns, two more theaters of war.
My grandfather served in the 97th Infantry Division which was supposed to be the invasion reserve division for Operation Olympic. After the Battle of the Bulge, SHAEF realized that the Germans had more fight in them then SHAEF had thought and the 97th Division (and I presume other US Divisions) was sent to fight in Germany, primarily with Third Army. My Grandfather rarely discussed his service with my father and he passed before I was born. Based on what little he told my Father and my own research, it is likely that my Grandfather either participated in the liberation of a concentration camp or saw the survivors of a camp. My Grandfather did mention killing a SS officer dressed as a priest, something that greatly bothered him.
Last edited by Chantry; 06/08/21 09:23 AM.
I have become addicted to English hammered shotguns to the detriment of my wallet.
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 7,718 Likes: 479
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 7,718 Likes: 479 |
The bomber air crews faced bad times as well. Some missions had 25-50% losses. Mathematically losses were so high a crew could not fly enough missions to rotate out of combat. Chance and luck did get a few crews through. It must have been hell packing belongings up for buddies who just never returned, shot down, killed, wounded or just missing in action.
Had a shooting buddy who was cursed being small of statue. He ended up in the ball turret, as a gunner. One mission it got so damaged and he could not get out of it when the were forced to land. The right side landing gear had taken damage as well. His fear was it would collapse when landing and the turret would get crushed with him in it. It didn’t but he always said he wished he was six inches taller. They would not have put him in it then. War might seem cool when you are ten but when you hear what some of those guys went through cool is not what I’d call it. My father called it weeks of boredom followed by minutes to hours of intense action was his word. Guess it covered everything from stress to outright terror. God bless the all.
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Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 4,034 Likes: 47
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 4,034 Likes: 47 |
Good site re: 8th Air Force... https://www.100thbg.com/Dad had a cousin who was lost in the 350th squadron. Grandma lost a brother, also over Germany. Few families were not affected in some way. My wife's father who was a German immigrant circa early 30's lost his ENTIRE family (perhaps 2 dozen individuals) when the Russians overran Breslau. Hard to imagine.
"The price of good shotgunnery is constant practice" - Fred Kimble
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 7,718 Likes: 479
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 7,718 Likes: 479 |
I suggest you read the dairy from Carborn on the 100thbg. Very moving.
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Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 4,081 Likes: 472
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 4,081 Likes: 472 |
If anyone has the opportunity to travel on I95 through Georgia, the third exit going south from SC, 102, will take you to the Mighty 8th Air Force Museum which is visible from I95. It is well worth the visit. The Mighty 8th was founded in Savannah, Georgia. It has remarkable exhibits from numerous BG's. Gil
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