WWII Vets

[inyati13]

They are almost gone. My sister put this on her timeline this week. She has all the family pictures. I don't hold on to the past like some folks do so I don't get interested in old pictures. I was caught by this one. Would have been about 1942 when dad enlisted in the Army. Dad went down one day and signed up. Grandma got so upset that her baby (youngest of 9 children) had joined the war that she had a "spell" that night. Uncle Joe was not going to let dad go alone, so the next day he went down and enlisted. Joe had a tough tour of duty. Was left on one of the islands of the pacific and was lucky to come home.
Dad served 3 and a half years. He never left the mainland due to bad behavior (that is not a joke, he struck a superior officer).

 

[AllForage]

Finally started going through all the family stuff I brought home from CA when my dad died last June. Came across the original telegraph informing my Grandpa's parents he was seriously injured in the south pacific. I enjoy all the old family stuff, but I will probably be last that recognize anyone in all the photos.

 

[Workinonit Farm]

I enjoy all the old family stuff, but I will probably be last that recognize anyone in all the photos.

That's what's happening in our family as well.

 

[wv mud river]

the greatest generation. my mom is 92 when I visit her she always talks about dad when he served in ww2.dads gone now. but mom is reliving those years .brings out pictures, letters and dads medals.remembers it like it was yesterday

 

[jasonleonard]

I often think that when I am an old man, I will be able to tell my grandchidren that I grew up knowing WW2 vets, as I had many great-uncles that served.

 

[Waterway65]

Write down their stories so you "remember them when they are gone.

 

[wacocowboy]

My Grandfather served in the Navy in the Pacific on a carrier during WW2 he passed away in 2011. I sure do miss him we use to sit around and he would tell me stuff from the war I miss those times.

 

[dun]

Read a story the other day about a WWII vet that pput on his uniform for veterens day even though he was too weak to get out of bed.
Great commercail:
https://www.youtube.com/embed/uoABty_zE00?rel=0

 

[Nesikep]

Just found out today my grandma died last week at 98 years old.. Grampa passed away about 6 years ago. Being Swiss they weren't directly involved in the war, but they still were affected by the depression, and it's not like war was far away.

I knew one WW2 vet as a kid, he lived 2 doors down, "Parky" was the only name I ever knew him by.. had one stiff knee, always gave kids ice cream when they came to visit (certainly a good way to be popular with 7 year olds!), and drank a bottle of rye and a 6 pack every day. I don't know where he served.
The other vet in the area had served in North Africa, and was known as "Limey John" (John Garrett)... One day while sitting at the pub (where else) in this town of about 40 people, he noticed a fellow at the bar who kept looking at him. After a while the fellow came up to him and hugged him, and said "You took me as POW in North Africa and saved my life"!
That is one of the most fascinating 'Small world' stories I've ever heard

 

[greybeard]

As a kid, my brother and I were always sitting in my father's auto shop listening to the customers standing around talking about the war. This was late 50s-thru the 60s. One of the very first jobs I ever had was with a construction crew and the old backhoe operater was in on the Okinawa invasion--said it was just gawd awful. Said someone had put up a big sign at Naha, that just said "Kill japs-kil japs-kill more japs".
The media would have a cow if anything like that happened today.

Lost one uncle in the Pacific, 3 others saw action in it. My father was drafted, served 2 years, but didn't leave the states, as Roosevelt let all married men out as soon as Berlin fell--or right after.

 

[Nesikep]

As a kid, my brother and I were always sitting in my father's auto shop listening to the customers standing around talking about the war. This was late 50s-thru the 60s. One of the very first jobs I ever had was with a construction crew and the old backhoe operater was in on the Okinawa invasion--said it was just gawd awful. Said someone had put up a big sign at Naha, that just said "Kill japs-kil japs-kill more japs".
The media would have a cow if anything like that happened today.

Wars and their propaganda machines make people do stuff they wouldn't usually do. I'm thankful I haven't had to go through that.

 

[Rafter S]

I had a great uncle who was all over Europe and North Africa. He never talked to me much about the fighting, but told some other stories. One that I remember was about when his unit was in England preparing for the Normandy invasion. He and some of his buddies were tired of eating the same old thing, and decided a fish fry would be a good idea. He said "You know, if you lob a hand grenade in the water you can get all kinds of fish."

 

[Jogeephus]

If anyone wants to read an interesting war story this is it. This was my friends daddy. We were neighbors. Didn't know he was anything but a normal dad during the day. He didn't have PTSD, "trauma", didn't have to have a service dog, no special tag on his vehicle, no ADD or any of these maladies of today. He was just my friend's father and just a normal sort of guy. I knew he had a few medals in his house but never paid it much mind till I received this around veterans day. Blimey, the guy was good. Am glad I never played poker with him but I now know why my family always bought cars from him.

http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USMC/US ... SS-12.html

 

[greybeard]

If anyone wants to read an interesting war story this is it. This was my friends daddy. We were neighbors. Didn't know he was anything but a normal dad during the day. He didn't have PTSD, "trauma", didn't have to have a service dog, no special tag on his vehicle, no ADD or any of these maladies of today. He was just my friend's father and just a normal sort of guy. I knew he had a few medals in his house but never paid it much mind till I received this around veterans day. Blimey, the guy was good. Am glad I never played poker with him but I now know why my family always bought cars from him.

http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USMC/US ... SS-12.html

Interesting story Joe--thanks for posting it. The Greatest Generation somehow doesn't seem descriptive enough.