re: Spinoff: Where did your relatives serve in WWII?

Dad's dad - one of the first to hit the beach at Omaha
Mom's dad - polish, spent the war in a forced labor camp
Wife's grand parents were a navy chaplain and a Bataan death march survivor

grandfather was a pilot in WWII. He taught flying school in Savannah and the UK, and also did cargo transport in the pacific. After the way, he was one of the pilots in the berlin airlift.

Damn I miss him. Died 3 years ago, at 98.

Other grandfather was out of the military by the time the war started, as he was a lot older than my grandmother (like 25 years).

This is from a newspaper clipping from a story about my dad during WWII.


....Tells Dramatic Story of ‘Jump’
Bailed out of Plane
After Dropping Men
Behind Nazi Lines

T/Sgt. (name deleted), son of Mr. and Mrs. (named deleted), bailed out from a burning transport plane while dropping paratroops behind the German lines during the crossing of the Rhine river.
His dramatic experience as written to his parents follows:
“When the Allied armies crossed the Rhine river we were the ones who dropped the paratroopers behind the German lines.
“Well, we got hit in the wing of the plane on our way in, but that didn’t slow us down. We flew on through heavy fire from the German guns and dropped our load of troops. We turned to come back and just as we turned, a shell hit our gas tank and set the plane on fire. I noticed it right away and told my pilot so he told the crew to bail out. We all had our parachutes on already so he slowed the plane down to about 180 miles per hour and five of us jumped. The pilot jumped after he made sure we were all out. Well, it was quite a sensation to feel that parachute open. I was about 1500 feet high then. All of a sudden, I could hear the machine gun bullets go whistling by and there I realized the Germans were shooting at me while I was coming down. Fortunately, they didn’t hit me but my parachite had quite a few holes in it.
“I hit the ground in an open field and of all places to fall, I fell on a hill. They cut loose again at me and I could see the dirt fly where their bullets were hitting. I took my chute off and ran to a ditch. I didn’t know where I was, exactly, but I soon found out that I was right between the lines. The Germans wouldn’t come out and get me because it was in an open field and the British could easily knock them off, and the British couldn’t come and get me because of the same reason. Well after two hours of sweating in that ditch two British tommies came and got me. They had cleaned up the Germans a little around there so they came after me. They saw me jump and knew where I had fallen. I can’t tell you how happy I was to see those two British boys.
“They took me back across the Rhine River to an airfield in Germany and we notified our squadron. That was at nighttime, so the next day the squadron commander flew down and picked me up along with some of the other boys who had to bail out. I was given a great welcome from the boys when I returned here, and also a seven-day leave.”

My dad's uncle was with the 36th D at Anzio Beach invading Italy. Was killed 29 Dec 1944.

Grandfather was a marine, toured the Pacific, went in at 17.

My grandfather was somehow stationed at Miami Beach for the war but I have three great uncles that fought. One received the silver star for his actions at Pearl Harbor. Another was on a bomber crew that was shot down over the Pacific and picked up by the Japanese. He was reported as KIA but survived his POW camp by trading his cigarette ration for extra food (he was a Mormon so he didn't smoke). A third served in the 101st and participated in D Day and Market Garden. He went on to be a well known scholar within the LDS world. His wiki is here.


Just found my Uncles Silver Star citation from Pearl Harbor:

"The Silver Star is presented to Loren A. Stoddard, Second Lieutenant (Air Corps), U.S. Army Air Force, for heroism in action during the attack on Hickam Field by Japanese forces (aircraft) on 7 December 1941. Second Lieutenant Stoddard, a Pilot in the 19th Transport Squadron, proceeded to Hanger No. 17, where the squadron's planes were parked. The adjacent hangar, No. 15, had already been severely bombed. A plane close by had been hit and was burning rapidly and its proximity to the transport planes greatly endangered them. Noting this danger Lieutenant Stoddard, on his own initiative and without orders, started the motors of one of the planes after the crew had rolled it back from the hangar a short distance. Although under fire by the enemy, Lieutenant Stoddard, with a crew member observing for him through the escape hatch, taxied the plane through debris and smoke to a relatively safe position on the field away from the hangars. Lieutenant Stoddard displayed fast thinking, bravery, coolness and a great devotion to duty by his action and was an inspiration to all who saw him. The heroism displayed by Lieutenant Stoddard on this occasion reflected great credit upon himself and the military service."

He's on the back row, far left:

Army Air Corps which was the predecessor to the Air Force.

My grandfather was stationed at an airfield in the Aluetian Islands. He worked in the control tower. He said it was kind of scary because the Japs controlled a nearby island.

pop went to france, in an army medical unit

Uncle, Navy in the Pacific. Sunk at Pearl Harbor (USS California battleship), Battle of the Coral Sea (saw the the Lexington go down), Battle of Midway (saw the Yorktown go down), sunk at the Battle of Savo Island (Guadalcanal, USS Astoria heavy cruiser), Battle of Leyte, Lingayen Gulf (Philippines) landings, sunk by kamikazes at Iwo Jima (USS Bismarck Sea escort carrier, did not survive).

Father, Army (Signal Corps) in the Pacific. Stationed in Hawaii (Molokai, I believe) and then on Kwajalein.

Uncle by marriage, Army Air Corps in the Pacific, radio operator on a B-26.

Couple of my Dad's first cousins were in the Navy in the Pacific, both were Pearl Harbor survivors.

Had a great uncle fly P51 Mustangs. He was shot down at one point. I don't have too many details, but a 1940 luger with Nazi etchings all over it is now in my dad's possession