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re: Does anyone have a family member alive that served in WW2?
Posted on 4/2/18 at 5:32 pm to WinnPtiger
Posted on 4/2/18 at 5:32 pm to WinnPtiger
All of this makes me think of the amount of stories that are out there. Even more about the scars that people carried and how it shaped our world
1
Posted on 4/2/18 at 5:32 pm to Brazos
Grandpa on dads side was a b17 pilot who got shot down in 43. Spent next 2 years in stalag luft 1. Was funny he went to his first reunion in 2000 and found out his ball turret gunner had survived. Other grandpa was a marine but didn’t see action cause of back issues.
Posted on 4/2/18 at 5:32 pm to Brazos
My Dad passed away in 2005. He was in North Africa in Patton's tank corp. Transferred to the French Army and was a translator in France. He talked about a lot of stuff. The one thing I remember was a newly liberated concentration camp he went to. The prisoners wouldn't leave because they thought it was the German's playing tricks on them. He said the smell was nauseating. Tomorrow I am getting the German helmet that he brought back. My brother has the Luger pistol holster and belt. He took it off a dead German soldier. The soldier's name was Petrick (SP?) who was maybe early twenties or late teens. My Dad was also called up for Korea but served in the Pentagon.
Posted on 4/2/18 at 5:41 pm to Brazos
MY wife’s grandfather is 93, still alive and sharp but his body is failing him fast.
Her Grandmother and grandpa still alive over 90 and live alone. They have 11 kids and one of the kids is coming or going at any time.
He wears his WWII Vet hat in public and people always come up and thank him for his service. Pretty cool to see
Her Grandmother and grandpa still alive over 90 and live alone. They have 11 kids and one of the kids is coming or going at any time.
He wears his WWII Vet hat in public and people always come up and thank him for his service. Pretty cool to see
This post was edited on 4/2/18 at 5:42 pm
Posted on 4/2/18 at 5:43 pm to jmarto1
My Dad lived all his life in a little town (pop. around 600) in NE Texas. He signs up for flight school as soon as he turned 18. He became a naval aviation cadet.
He went through flight school quickly. He was the first to get "all upchecks", which means he passed every level. So, while everyone else was training, he'd fly around in a trainer. One day, he started a mock dogfight with an instructor. He got disciplined by having to spend a day in the control tower. Dad said he loved it because everyone wanted to know what was going on.
New boss comes in. Everyone ships out, but they hold Dad to discipline him for the same dogfight. Told him he'd be a sailor. But, the big C.O. said "no double jeopardy" so he wasn't disciplined. But, everyone in his unit was gone so they shipped him to Pensacola (which was a much better place). He ended up a Marine pilot and by his 19th birthday was flying the USMC version of the B-24.
He went through flight school quickly. He was the first to get "all upchecks", which means he passed every level. So, while everyone else was training, he'd fly around in a trainer. One day, he started a mock dogfight with an instructor. He got disciplined by having to spend a day in the control tower. Dad said he loved it because everyone wanted to know what was going on.
New boss comes in. Everyone ships out, but they hold Dad to discipline him for the same dogfight. Told him he'd be a sailor. But, the big C.O. said "no double jeopardy" so he wasn't disciplined. But, everyone in his unit was gone so they shipped him to Pensacola (which was a much better place). He ended up a Marine pilot and by his 19th birthday was flying the USMC version of the B-24.
Posted on 4/2/18 at 5:43 pm to fallguy_1978
Hell, one of my grandfathers was in WWI.
The other one was drafted into WW2, but being around 40 years old and having 4 kids, including a son that was in the Navy, he was given a deferrment. But they told him he had to contribute to the war effort in some way, so he was made an air raid warden. He said that when the city would practice black outs, he would ride around and look for buildings whose lights could still be seen and get the people to put out or block out their lights.
It's hard to believe, but there is a family picture of my oldest uncle as an infant sitting on the lap of my great, great grandfather, who was a Confederate soldier who passed in the mid 1920s.
The other one was drafted into WW2, but being around 40 years old and having 4 kids, including a son that was in the Navy, he was given a deferrment. But they told him he had to contribute to the war effort in some way, so he was made an air raid warden. He said that when the city would practice black outs, he would ride around and look for buildings whose lights could still be seen and get the people to put out or block out their lights.
It's hard to believe, but there is a family picture of my oldest uncle as an infant sitting on the lap of my great, great grandfather, who was a Confederate soldier who passed in the mid 1920s.
This post was edited on 4/2/18 at 5:49 pm
Posted on 4/2/18 at 5:43 pm to Brazos
My grandfather was a pilot over Normandy on D-Day-- he died in 2010. He never really talked about things BUT we did interview him for my son's 6th grade history project one year. I remember asking him if he was scared and he said "oh no, the people were very nice to us -- they gave us tea and biscuits".
He flew Spitfires with the Royal Air Force -- still not quite sure how he got placed with them. Guess I need to ask his children to elaborate for me.
He flew Spitfires with the Royal Air Force -- still not quite sure how he got placed with them. Guess I need to ask his children to elaborate for me.
Posted on 4/2/18 at 5:43 pm to TheCaterpillar
quote:
TheCaterpillar
His father also fought in the Civil War, right? Pretty badass history there.
My grandfather was in the gunners of B-17s. Served in north Africa and Italy. Lost 3 or 4 siblings in the war to where he never spoke of it. The other was 15 when the war ended.
Posted on 4/2/18 at 5:45 pm to Brazos
My grandfather. He was on a liberty ship. He joined at 16 and is now 90.
Posted on 4/2/18 at 5:46 pm to chinhoyang
Apparently, the Marines had an issue with their version of the B-24. The one squadron was shut down. Dad said that all he wanted to do was get out in the Pacific and into the war.
Finally, he gets orders to go to Guam. He's on the ship when the Military Police come up and tell him he's being arrested as a deserter. Dad is 18, very confused and wonders what is going on. When he gets to wherever they took him, the C.O. says "he's not under arrest ... we've restarted the B-24 squadron and we're short of pilots so he needs to get to the squardron ASAP.
Later in the war, he is the co-pilot as the B-24 is flying over some Japanese held area. My Dad looks out and tells the pilot "those are some odd looking clouds there." Pilot, who was probably 19 or 20, says "those aren't clouds its AA fire."
Finally, he gets orders to go to Guam. He's on the ship when the Military Police come up and tell him he's being arrested as a deserter. Dad is 18, very confused and wonders what is going on. When he gets to wherever they took him, the C.O. says "he's not under arrest ... we've restarted the B-24 squadron and we're short of pilots so he needs to get to the squardron ASAP.
Later in the war, he is the co-pilot as the B-24 is flying over some Japanese held area. My Dad looks out and tells the pilot "those are some odd looking clouds there." Pilot, who was probably 19 or 20, says "those aren't clouds its AA fire."
This post was edited on 4/2/18 at 5:48 pm
Posted on 4/2/18 at 5:50 pm to tiger91
quote:
He flew Spitfires with the Royal Air Force -- still not quite sure how he got placed with them. Guess I need to ask his children to elaborate for me.
There were American volunteers with the RAF in the early part of the war. After Pearl Harbor, they were given the option to transfer over to the US military. Some did, some didn't. There were also a few American squadrons equipped with Spitfires, for various reasons.
Posted on 4/2/18 at 5:58 pm to Brazos
Yes. My Dad is a PTO veteran of WW2 and will turn 98 in June.
Posted on 4/2/18 at 5:59 pm to Jim Rockford
quote:
There were American volunteers with the RAF in the early part of the war. After Pearl Harbor, they were given the option to transfer over to the US military. Some did, some didn't. There were also a few American squadrons equipped with Spitfires, for various reasons.
Cool info. I know that he wasn't at Pearl Harbor and I also know that he was sick on what was to be the original D-Day -- it got moved back due to weather and by then he was ok to fly. I remember seeing a shadow box with his leather pilot "helmet" (wouldn't have helped anything) and a few medals but I don't know what the medals were for.
He came home, ran his law office, raised a family and lived a long, good life.
I'm truly glad that 1) he got to be a part of Honor Air Flight here in Lafayette and that he got to see the WWII memorial and 2) that I was able to be there at the airport when he returned from that trip.
Posted on 4/2/18 at 6:00 pm to Brazos
My grandfather was a german paratrooper. Jumped into Crete and after that saw action in Leningrad, Ukraine, France, and Holland.
He's still alive today. Won't talk about anything other than where he was and how terrible the war was.
He's still alive today. Won't talk about anything other than where he was and how terrible the war was.
Posted on 4/2/18 at 6:06 pm to Blue Horseshoe
My graddad died last month but he was a MP in Japan after WW2 so that's pretty close I think around 47/48
Posted on 4/2/18 at 6:06 pm to Brazos
Had a great uncle stationed in Pearl Harbor on Dec 7th 1941. He was on the Oklahoma when it was hit with 9 torpedos and rolled. He was one of the lucky 32 they pulled out of the ship 36 hours after the attack. They survived in pitch black oil/water mix until the rescue crews cut deep enough into the ship to find them.
He was also on a differnet ship that was blown in half in in the soloman islands but I can’t remeber the name of it.
I wish I was old enough to really understand what he went through before he passed. He saw all parts of the pacific campaign. Was even there for Guadalcanal. He was a wealth of information on the pacific theater.
He was also on a differnet ship that was blown in half in in the soloman islands but I can’t remeber the name of it.
I wish I was old enough to really understand what he went through before he passed. He saw all parts of the pacific campaign. Was even there for Guadalcanal. He was a wealth of information on the pacific theater.
Posted on 4/2/18 at 6:07 pm to Brazos
I wish... my grandfather was a General in WWII, earned a purple heart which I have with me at my house, along with about 3 dozen other medals. I would give anything to go back in time and have one conversation with him. All I know are the stories written/published about him. My dad never spoke of him, once.
He committed suicide in '72.
He committed suicide in '72.
Posted on 4/2/18 at 6:10 pm to Brazos
My father is 97 years old and served aboard the USS Enterprise CV6 working on the fighter planes as a metalsmith. He was on board from April 1943 until she was sent back to Bremerton for repairs to damage sustained during a kamikaze strike on an aircraft elevator. He still has a piece of that plane.
He was standing next to Butch O'Hare and his flight commander and heard their conversation just before he took off on his last mission and was shot down. Butch was and Ace and was awarded the Medal of Honor.
I contacted the WW2 museum in New Orleans and they sent someone who video interviewed him. He is still sharp usually doesn't talk about the things he saw and experienced unless you ask him about it directly.
He just quit driving this year.
He was standing next to Butch O'Hare and his flight commander and heard their conversation just before he took off on his last mission and was shot down. Butch was and Ace and was awarded the Medal of Honor.
I contacted the WW2 museum in New Orleans and they sent someone who video interviewed him. He is still sharp usually doesn't talk about the things he saw and experienced unless you ask him about it directly.
He just quit driving this year.
Posted on 4/2/18 at 6:10 pm to Brazos
Great grandfather served, a few great uncles.
Csb that I’ve told on here once before. Two of my great uncles were Marines in different units on a troop transport at the same time. One night, over the loudspeaker of the troop transport, some body said “Pvt. So-n-so come to the quarterdeck”
Hearing that, both of them went up there. One because he was ordered to, the other because he just wanted to see if it was his brother that was called. Lo-and-behold, it was.
That was the first time they had seen each other since the older one left for boot camp. I’d have loved to be a fly on the wall for that encounter. Both of em made it out.
Csb that I’ve told on here once before. Two of my great uncles were Marines in different units on a troop transport at the same time. One night, over the loudspeaker of the troop transport, some body said “Pvt. So-n-so come to the quarterdeck”
Hearing that, both of them went up there. One because he was ordered to, the other because he just wanted to see if it was his brother that was called. Lo-and-behold, it was.
That was the first time they had seen each other since the older one left for boot camp. I’d have loved to be a fly on the wall for that encounter. Both of em made it out.
Posted on 4/2/18 at 6:15 pm to Brazos
My grandfather landed at Utah Beach on June 18, 1944. He was part of the replacement for the 29th Infantry Division and saw action with the 821st Tank Destroy Battalion in France, Holland, Belgium and Germany, fighting in four different campaigns during WW II. He received a Bronze Star for saving an armored car from mortar fire which landed on the rear and caught fire. He's one tough SOB and will be 93 in July. I'm proud of you gramps 
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