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re: D-Day Countdown
Posted on 6/6/26 at 2:42 pm to WWII Collector
Posted on 6/6/26 at 2:42 pm to WWII Collector
quote:
Your a young kid in the bottom of a large ship.. waiting... just waiting...
Imagine the very moment you hears the ships screws start turning.
I'm reading Masters of the Air right now. There was an officer talking about the morning routine before a mission. Wake-up at 4, breakfast at 4:30, mission briefing at 5:15, takeoff at 6. He said the worst part of the morning was the jeep ride between the briefing and being dropped off at your plane. Nothing to do during that ride but contemplate what awaited you.
1
Posted on 6/6/26 at 9:27 pm to OU Guy
Posted on 6/6/26 at 9:30 pm to WWII Collector
On this June 6th... I post this to show how much it meant to our boys, and how little it means to the nfl.
Posted on 6/6/26 at 9:37 pm to stuckintexas
quote:I learned why they rode in jeeps this week. Not only was it a long taxi to their planes, but they didn’t want to break a sweat because the slightest dampness would turn to ice at high altitudes and cause frostbite. I always knew about frostbite, but I guess I overlooked the on the ground steps it took to prevent that from happening.
He said the worst part of the morning was the jeep ride between the briefing and being dropped off at your plane
Posted on 6/6/26 at 9:43 pm to sledgehammer
quote:
I learned why they rode in jeeps this week. Not only was it a long taxi to their planes, but they didn’t want to break a sweat because the slightest dampness would turn to ice at high altitudes and cause frostbite. I always knew about frostbite, but I guess I overlooked the on the ground steps it took to prevent that from happening.
Interesting... I do know that aircrews had a different diet than the opthers at land or sea. For example.. Beans and Broccoli were NOT on the menu.
Posted on 6/6/26 at 9:44 pm to sledgehammer
quote:
I learned why they rode in jeeps this week. Not only was it a long taxi to their planes, but they didn’t want to break a sweat because the slightest dampness would turn to ice at high altitudes and cause frostbite. I always knew about frostbite, but I guess I overlooked the on the ground steps it took to prevent that from happening.
Yeah, there's a whole chapter about developing medical practices for treating airmen. They frequently had weather delays and long waits on the tarmac. Many guys would play ball and roughhouse, leading to lots of perspiration. The doctors had to put an end to that.
Posted on 6/6/26 at 10:01 pm to WWII Collector
quote:
I do know that aircrews had a different diet than the opthers at land or sea. For example.. Beans and Broccoli were NOT on the menu.
I'm sure all the booze and poon that WERE on the menu made up for it. One comment I thought was hilarious was that Clark Gable could have taken any girl home he wanted, but he often wouldn't because he "felt like he got in less trouble with the ugly ones"
The ball turret guys had it the worst with the frostbite. They'd often have to urinate on themselves during the flights and the electric warming suits would frequently fail.
Posted on 6/6/26 at 10:09 pm to WWII Collector
quote:
For example.. Beans and Broccoli were NOT on the menu.
Gas expands at high altitude. One flight instructor told airmen in training to just let it rip. "you're not at Mrs. Astors dining room table".
An excellent book that goes into great detail about flight training is," The Navigator's Letter" by Jan Cress Dondi.
About 2 friends from small town Il. that become B-24 navigators and Ploesti plays a large part in both their lives. Really good read.
Posted on 6/6/26 at 10:12 pm to stuckintexas
quote:
electric warming suits would frequently fail.
My Dad was NG on a B-24 and he told me one mission the right glove wouldn't work. Said whenever he wasn't at his station, he was huddled up beside the RO station with his right hand in his left armpit and every blanket on board covering him.
Posted on 6/11/26 at 8:35 pm to OU Guy
My Grandfather blew his knee out on a punt return against Georgia. Shug made him stay in school to earn his degree. The day following Pearl Harbor, he was in gym with every male at Auburn. Navy and Army rejected him.
Standing alone shamed at the thought of not fighting for his country. A Marine Corps Officer walked up ask what was wrong. Next question “What degree do you have?” “Civil Engineering” “Come with me. I believe the Corps has a place for you.” He kept the runways open during the Iwo Jima and Guadal Canal campaigns. Retired as a Colonel wearing a Bronze Star. He only told the funny stories one islands that featured sniper attacks during the campaigns.
Standing alone shamed at the thought of not fighting for his country. A Marine Corps Officer walked up ask what was wrong. Next question “What degree do you have?” “Civil Engineering” “Come with me. I believe the Corps has a place for you.” He kept the runways open during the Iwo Jima and Guadal Canal campaigns. Retired as a Colonel wearing a Bronze Star. He only told the funny stories one islands that featured sniper attacks during the campaigns.
Posted on 6/11/26 at 9:28 pm to OU Guy
"Could still hear the bullets snapping over his head" Was talking to an old timer at the gym & he said he went in on the second wave at Omaha Beach. A few things he talked about his landing : Saving Private Ryan was the most realistic war movie he'd ever seen from his D Day experiences. "The only thing missing was the smells of that day, especially the almost overwhelming smell of cordite." He saw the movie by himself as he was not sure how he'd react. When the pinging of bullets hit his ears, he almost peed in his pants as he did that day. As an aside, he was Patton's secondary driver but was not driving the day of Patton's fatal jeep accident. He said the other vehicle that hit Patton's jeep had no reason to be on the highway that day & "everyone was sure it was no accident".No police report ever made it to light.
Posted on 6/11/26 at 10:30 pm to Keltic Tiger
I wish we had an archive board here. Could place this in it and then bring back next year. So many great and personal stories. Appreciate all those who posted, we can never forget that so many died or were wounded for us to have our freedoms.
Posted on 6/11/26 at 10:35 pm to OU Guy
quote:
I wish we had an archive board here. Could place this in it and then bring back next year. So many great and personal stories. Appreciate all those who posted, we can never forget that so many died or were wounded for us to have our freedoms.
I agree... Or a History board.
Not gonna put TD down but the search feature is sort of a waste.
Posted on 6/12/26 at 12:23 am to vl100butch
quote:
I was there in 1984,
That was Reagan’s “The boys of Pointe Do Hoc” speech that gave overlooking the landing beaches. Written by a young 29 year old Peggy Noonan. One of the best and most moving speeches I’ve ever heard. It was the big Time Magazine article on the 40th anniversary that got me interested in history as a 13 year old. Man, I wish I had kept that edition.
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