Had a bunch of uncles who fought, European and Pacific theaters. (My dad wasn't drafted and was basically told not to enlist, because he was in a critical home front occupation.) In any case, none of them would talk about their actual combat experiences, unless they were mostly among themselves and had a few beers and shots. Then, some of the stories would curdle your hair ... and helped you understand why they wouldn't say anything when they were sober.Spanky2 said:Interesting. Many of our soldiers had some horrible experiences, including the liberation of concentration camps.
tourist said:My dad was in for the whole nine yards, in the Pacific. He came home with a Purple Heart. No war stories. Did tell me a sniper shot him in the ass on Okinawa. I saw his DD214 at some point, and he was a company clerk/typist. A 'Klinger' or 'Radar' from M_A_S_H, only in the prior war. From the famous line from 'Full Metal Jacket': "In the rear with the gear." The sniper made it an irony. Any rat-a-tat-tat was from his typewriter. Sitting while typing must have been a bitch.
Lots of uncles in both theaters. Don't recall any war stories from, or about, any of them.
IdaGriz01 said:Had a bunch of uncles who fought...Then, some of the stories would curdle your hair ... and helped you understand why they wouldn't say anything when they were sober.Spanky2 said:Interesting. Many of our soldiers had some horrible experiences, including the liberation of concentration camps.
+1 :thumb:Gaeilge1 said:I heard on the news tonight that less than 4% of the service men and women who served in WWII still survive! If you know a person who did serve in that way and is still alive, thank them again!! You may not get another chance!
cclarkblues said:tourist said:My dad was in for the whole nine yards, in the Pacific. He came home with a Purple Heart. No war stories. Did tell me a sniper shot him in the ass on Okinawa. I saw his DD214 at some point, and he was a company clerk/typist. A 'Klinger' or 'Radar' from M_A_S_H, only in the prior war. From the famous line from 'Full Metal Jacket': "In the rear with the gear." The sniper made it an irony. Any rat-a-tat-tat was from his typewriter. Sitting while typing must have been a bitch.
Lots of uncles in both theaters. Don't recall any war stories from, or about, any of them.
My dad was on Okinawa. He spent the rest of his life with PTSD although there was no name for it then. He never really came home.
krammer said:the greatest generation and imo not even close to any other....
A couple of my uncles were like that. Their bodies came home, and they (somehow) managed productive and (outwardly) comfortable lives. But horrific memories lurked just behind the facade. And give a bunch of credit to the wives. Many of them understood (however vaguely), and were supportive, when the so-called experts didn't have a clue. A cousin once told me that his mother kept his dad alive for a decade (suicide a real danger) before he could "put his demons to rest." Sadly, that did not always happen.cclarkblues said:...
My dad was on Okinawa. He spent the rest of his life with PTSD although there was no name for it then. He never really came home..
I hope you make it there as well, the Omaha Beach is a very humbling sight in todays world. My father a retired Army SGT MJR Co. A 50th Signal Batalion, landed at midnight in rubber boats with some Rangers to establish a communications net. prior to the landings on Utah Beach. American bomber crews did a fantastic job of wipeing out German defense positions. Losses were kept to a minimum on the landings. April 27th has always been a special day for our family it was a day when dad cheated death once again.tourist said:SWeberCat02 said:Thanks for sharing. I have a big interest in WW2 and was hoping to be in Normandy for the 75th anniversary, but didn't make it. Hope to make it there someday.
I've also had the same interest. The more I read, the more I want to know. 'The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich,' by Wm. Shirer, 1959, is excellent and probably the best work on the subject ever made. Not something for the casual reader, it is over 1400 pages long, and can be found at Barnes and Noble's, on the shelf.
My dad was born in 1915 and was a B17 tailgunner. Would only talk about the leaves.Paytonlives said:krammer said:the greatest generation and imo not even close to any other....
Just Imagine you were born in 1914...
You remember WWI
You lived through Great Depression
You might have fought in WWII
We don't just owe them a lot... We owe them EVERYTHING!