re: Relatives that served in World War 2

I have several great uncles that served in WW2 but we never talked about. My grandfather served in WW1, he was 20 years older than my grandmother. He was 6'7" and was in the trenches in France. Sadly I barely remember but my mom said it was not kind to him. My dad was in the Korean War and had occasional bouts of PTSD. Scared the hell out of me as a kid. I'm retired military but my experience was nothing like that. A few months of fun, otherwise a piece of cake.

My dad was in the Navy in the Pacific. He was a radar technician when radar was in its infancy.

The first thing on his agenda after getting his radar training was being sent to Guadalcanal (site of the First Battle of the Solomons) to embark on the mission to seize from the Japanese the Munda Air Base on New Georgia Island (an endeavor that became known as the Second Battle of the Solomons}. He received commendations for being instrumental in the seizing and occupation of Munda, which then became a US Naval base. He was stationed there for a year and a half, from the summer of 1943 through the end of 1944.

He then spent 1945 on the Intrepid aircraft carrier which is now a museum in New York. During March and April of 1945, the ship was involved in intense battles while launching air strikes against Okinawa and Japan. It was struck more than once by kamikaze attacks and had to go to San Francisco for repairs. It was on its way back to participate in the invasion of the Japanese mainland when news arrived that the Atomic Bomb had been dropped.

Whether dropping the bomb was the correct decision is being debated today, but on the Intrepid in 1945, the vote would have been unanimous. Harry Truman was a hero, and they were happy the war was over.

My Uncle, Father's oldest brother served in the Navy, he was in a sub guarding the Channel for D Day

My father - who recently passed at 98 - served in the USAAF (13th AF) in the Philippines and New Guinea as a controller helping damaged and lost aircraft find an airfield.

I believe he was slated to be Forward Air Controller for the invasion of Japan... so thanks for the nukes Harry.

Retired from the Retired Reserves as a SMSgt in the mid-1980s.

Had uncles in the Navy and Army but no details. All have passed on.

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I had a great uncle whose B-17 went missing after a bombing mission from the RAF Knettishall airfield in Suffolk England to Hamburg. They bombed a German airfield but encountered enemy fighters over the North Sea and went down, killing them all.

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Very cool. Had a grandfather that was also a B-17 pilot and flew some missions over the Netherlands. He actually enlisted as a Marine, then served in the Army Air Corps, and then stayed on active duty once the Air Force was created. Named my first son after him.

Brother Vietnam
Dad ww2
Grand father ww1

Dad went across D-Day+4. He said he walked all the way from a Beach in France to Belgium. He and his 6 brothers all were drafted. All made it back.

He was in the woods at the Battle of the Bulge. For years he would only say it was very cold and they were poorly supplied to survive in the cold.

He began to talk about it about a year before he died, but only to me, because we had a common military background. I only listened and never tried to swap stories with him. It didn't seem right, but I knew he wanted me to know, so I listened.

He has been gone for almost 10 years now. My hero. I miss him a lot.

Had one grandfather who served in the Navy in the Pacific Theater. My other grandfather served in the Marines in the Pacific. The former grandfather didn't mind sharing stories...the latter didn't speak of it much.

My grandfather was a co-pilot on a B24 Liberator in World War 2. they were on a mission to bomb the Ploesti oil fields
and on the way back to Italy they took on damage and had to try to land the plane somewhere in the mountainous region of Yugoslavia.
Only 3 in the crew survived.
they were taken prisoner there by a small Nazi force. They we're held captive in somebody's barn for a few hours but we're freed by some Yugoslav freedom fighters shortly after.
They were transported somehow to an allied camp.
My Grandfather had to be flown to London and had reconstructive surgery on his face And treatment for several other broken bones and injuries. It's a miracle he made it through all that.
His name was Lt. Co. Claude James from Memphis, Tn.
I do recall one of his crewmembers name was Provensal from New Orleans

Grandfather was a marine pacific

Relative (distant cousin) was in the bataan death March I interviewed him in 2nd grade for a project on WWII. Wish I knew where the tape I used was

Uncle was in the army western front

Several other relatives were in the army western front

Surprising none of my relatives were KIA but a few did receive Purple Hearts