re: WW2 Grandpas thread

In the early years of the war my great grandfather killed many men in Germany, he didn’t kill any in the last couple years of the war because he was imprisoned in an allied pow camp.

Dad served in the Navy after graduating high school 1944, shipped to Philippines after it was liberated by MacArthur. He skippered a “patrol” boat that brought high ranking officers and admirals to their ships anchored in Subic Bay. He said they ran out gas in a patrol boat one time and while drifting to shore, the Philippine native men grabbed their women on the beach and hid them in the jungle - he always laughed telling that story

Dads brother, 1.5 years older, was in the army air corp and was a radio operator, and later radar observer, on a B-29 (“Dangerous Lady”) and flew bombing missions over Japan from Tinian Island. Flew over the USS Missouri as the peace treaty was being signed by the Japanese to end the war in the Pacific. He was transferred to Clark Field in the Philippines before being shipped home, where he was able to hook up with his brother, my father, for a visit. Photo of my father (right) and uncle (left) 1945 Subic Bay, Philippines, in front of the boat dad skippered.


My uncle passed in January, age 96, sadly dad passed last week, age 95.
It won’t be many more years before there are no longer any surviving WII veterans.

Father in law was in the USS Mississippi. Engaged in the last battleship vs. battleship action.

Paternal grandfather was a Sergeant in the Army Air Corps, stationed in the Aleutian Islands as an air traffic controller watching for Japs attempting to island hop. Served for 3 years from 1942-1945. Still with us at 97 years old.

My parents had us in their 40s back in the early 80s which was pretty rare. My dad was the youngest of 6 so it was actually my uncles that were in world war 2. My uncle Pat was a naval boxing champion for his weight class in the pacific and shot down a Japanese plane. Dude was awesome.

Grandfather was in the Air Corps for WWII.

Flew in the Battle of the Buldge as a turret gunner. They emergency landed in Belgium for repairs in enemy territory.

Earned the Purple Heart (flak grazed his head slashing open his scalp).

Retired as a Colonel.

He was my hero. He never really talked about it. I have his ribbons, medals, foreign currency he collected. His folded flag from his service (Passed exactly two weeks after 9/11)

Great thread.

Paternal Grandfather - Coast Guard on US Pacific Coast
Maternal Grandfather - Navy supply ship in the Pacific theatre. Told me story of heading out going under the Golden Gate bridge. His ship was first in the harbor after second A-bomb fell in Japan.

At 33 dad ended up,in Marine Corp, made 3 island landings, left wife & 3 kids, income to family was $120,monthly

Paternal Granddad was a young Lt in the Navy stationed at Pearl when it was bombed. He ran out to his ship when the raid started but he ended up spending a long time in the water and got pneumonia which weakened his heart from what I was told. He did serve in Korea but died young from a heart attack and my dad never got to meet him.

My maternal Granddad was too young to serve until Korea.