Started By
Message

Neat experience...met a WWII veteran at Sam's Club yesterday.

Posted on 12/28/14 at 4:07 pm
Posted by Crimson1st
Birmingham, AL
Member since Nov 2010
20261 posts
Posted on 12/28/14 at 4:07 pm
He served in the Navy. He had an Honor Flight cap on which is why I approached him, to thank him for his service. This gentleman was shopping with his wife and appeared to be really spry for his age. My hope is that he has been blessed throughout the years. Also, with the release of Unbroken, it really makes me appreciate the sacrifices these veterans made for us. Wanted to give a big salute to them all...

Anybody else here have any WWII vets you know to mention and/or their stories to share; vets both with us and those whom have moved on???
Posted by geauxtigers87
Louisiana
Member since Mar 2011
25235 posts
Posted on 12/28/14 at 4:10 pm to
Met a WWII vet at the WWII Museum that served In the 106th division during the battle of the bulge that managed to escape capture.
Posted by WPBTiger
Parts Unknown
Member since Nov 2011
31255 posts
Posted on 12/28/14 at 4:11 pm to
My uncle was in five major battles in Europe in WWII. It messed him up pretty good mentally.
Posted by Broski
Member since Jun 2011
71277 posts
Posted on 12/28/14 at 4:12 pm to
It's crazy how few are left.

I remember during grandparents day at my school (mid-90's), almost everybody's grandfather was a WWII vet.
This post was edited on 12/28/14 at 4:18 pm
Posted by tjohn deaux
GA
Member since Feb 2007
10179 posts
Posted on 12/28/14 at 4:14 pm to
My wife's grandfather was a Flying Fotress pilot with 35 missions (very high number). He passed a few years ago, but I loved just sitting and talking with him.
Posted by Crimson1st
Birmingham, AL
Member since Nov 2010
20261 posts
Posted on 12/28/14 at 4:17 pm to
Thanks for the quick replies...I swear, I could sit down and listen to these vets tell their stories all day. They will be missed as they fade away...

Anyone with WWII POW stories to share as well?
This post was edited on 12/28/14 at 4:20 pm
Posted by Traveler
I'm not late-I'm early for tomorrow
Member since Sep 2003
24281 posts
Posted on 12/28/14 at 4:19 pm to
My Dad was a Marine in the Pacific theatre and he rarely spoke of his wartime experiences. After he passed away, we found a shoebox in his closet with some old pics that he or a buddy took during that time. It was clear to us after seeing a few of those pics why he didn't speak much about his time over there.
Posted by Crimson1st
Birmingham, AL
Member since Nov 2010
20261 posts
Posted on 12/28/14 at 4:24 pm to
quote:

he rarely spoke of his wartime experiences


Sounds like he saw things go down that we could hardly wrap our minds around these days. I am sure there were a lot of vets who didn't get the PTSD type support back then which is available today. They probably fought the war over and over for years. Just goes to show how much they gave of themselves for us...
Posted by whit
Baton Rouge
Member since Sep 2010
10999 posts
Posted on 12/28/14 at 4:26 pm to
My grandfather. LINK He's still kicking and in really good health. Damn good man.
Posted by Jefferson Davis
Plank Road
Member since Nov 2011
5960 posts
Posted on 12/28/14 at 4:29 pm to
I love going to the National WWII Museum in New Orleans and talking to all the vets, but particularly when they have the "I was there" events. Incredible men with even more incredible stories.

Last year they had some German WWII vets there, talking about their perspectives of D-DAY and other parts of the war. That was awesome, to say the least.
This post was edited on 12/28/14 at 4:30 pm
Posted by chinhoyang
Member since Jun 2011
23659 posts
Posted on 12/28/14 at 4:29 pm to
My dad is a vet of WWII, Korea and Vietnam.

Flew Nimitz back from the Japanese surrender.

Flew every kind of Marine plane and helicopter you can think of.

He's 91 and still plays golf regularly.
Posted by tiger91
In my own little world
Member since Nov 2005
36746 posts
Posted on 12/28/14 at 4:31 pm to
This makes me wish I'd visited more with my grandfather .. a WW 2 Navy Pilot. Flew with the Royal Air Force. I'd love to know how that ended up happening as there were only a handful of Americans selected. He flew over Normandy on D-Day.
Posted by whit
Baton Rouge
Member since Sep 2010
10999 posts
Posted on 12/28/14 at 4:32 pm to
quote:

I love going to the National WWII Museum in New Orleans and talking to the all the vets, but particularly when they have the "I was there" events. Incredible men with even more incredible stories.
I took my grandfather there this year and as we walked through he told us story after story. It was an amazing and emotional day because he never really talked about the war until that day.
Posted by Traveler
I'm not late-I'm early for tomorrow
Member since Sep 2003
24281 posts
Posted on 12/28/14 at 4:32 pm to
Very true. He was in one of the first groups that went into the mainland after the surrender. Some of the looks on the faces of the kids is of pure shock and fear amidst the rubble of burnt out buildings surrounding them.
Posted by Jim Rockford
Member since May 2011
98358 posts
Posted on 12/28/14 at 4:33 pm to
GF was the late in life child of a WWII Naval officer. I found the war diary of his ship online. They saw some action, but a lot of it must have been just mind-numbingly tedious. Day after day where the only entry was "steaming as before," or "anchored as before." This aspect is rarely mentioned in books or movies, for obvious reasons, but it must have really worn on them.
Posted by chinhoyang
Member since Jun 2011
23659 posts
Posted on 12/28/14 at 4:33 pm to
Dad has some rough pictures from Vietnam on his second tour where he commanded and flew in a helicopter squadron.

He flew the photographic version of the B-24 in WWII, taking photos over Japanese held islands. I'm sure that was a thrill (he never talks about it).
Posted by Yewkindewit
Near Birmingham, Alabama
Member since Apr 2012
20092 posts
Posted on 12/28/14 at 4:33 pm to
One of my uncles was in France for a while and he would take me hunting for squirrels. On the walk into the woods, we walked in line and to his cadence. I learned to not ask about his war experiences after he told me about one buddy who's head was shot almost completely off. After that one mention he always said that I did not want to know more. RIP Uncle Alvin.
Posted by COTiger
Colorado
Member since Dec 2007
16844 posts
Posted on 12/28/14 at 4:34 pm to
My Das was in Patton'3 3rd Army. I asked him about it one time and after a couple of minutes I could tell he wasn't comfortable talking about it.

My father-in-law was a bomber pilot and spoke about it freely.
Posted by Chunkdog
God's Country
Member since Oct 2005
801 posts
Posted on 12/28/14 at 4:35 pm to
My wife's grandfather was POW in Germany for nine months. His wife received a letter advising that he MIA and his family presumed that he was KIA.

He never spoke to me or my wife about his time as a POW. However, when my wife brought him to the WWII museum, she said he spent a long time at several exhibits by himself in apparent deep thought.

Though my son will never remember him, I am grateful that my son was born before he died three years ago. He, unfortunately, was the only great grandparent that was alive when my son was born. The four generation photograph that we have of them is something that I will always treasure. He was a great man!!! RIP

Posted by whit
Baton Rouge
Member since Sep 2010
10999 posts
Posted on 12/28/14 at 4:36 pm to
quote:

My Das was in Patton'3 3rd Army. I asked him about it one time and after a couple of minutes I could tell he wasn't comfortable talking about it.


Check out the link in my post above. My grandfather was in Pattons 3rd army as well.
first pageprev pagePage 1 of 5Next pagelast page

Back to top
logoFollow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to get the latest updates on LSU Football and Recruiting.

FacebookTwitterInstagram