RE: small question (Full Version)

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Coach Z -> RE: small question (4/17/2009 1:59:06 PM)

Q-BALL those stories are great!!



RevRick -> RE: small question (4/17/2009 2:44:53 PM)

Let's see...
Grandpa was too young for WWI, and too old for WWII. Other grandpa I don't know about - I only saw him once - he didn't want anything to do with Dad because Grandpa's wife died shortly after Dad was born. Dad was in WWII - USMC - 2nd MarDiv for about two years. Got pulled out when they discovered he was a railroader. One uncle was in the Marines as a flyer, beginning with F4Fs, and graduating to F4U. Neither would talk much. Another uncle disappeared over the Atlantic in the PBY he was flying. Another never left Pearl. The last one took off after the war and just went out west somewhere - no one knows.

As a pastor, I have met a survivor of the West Virginia from 07DEC41, two brothers - one steamed on an avgas tanker, the other on an AE, one sergeant who was on Patton's staff in Third Army, one Marine Recon who was subbed onto Bougainville prior to the invasion, several who hit Omaha and Utah on 06JUN44. I had one former tanker who said it took him years to even be able to walk into a closet after he was through being a tanker. Most of them would talk about where they were, what their job was, but wouldn't say a whole lot about what they saw, smelled, experienced, or did. A couple, as they got close to the end, would open up a bit, but what we talked about was not for publication.



jeffk3510 -> RE: small question (4/17/2009 7:30:54 PM)

My old roomate in college was a distant relative of Hasso von Manteuffel, not sure how closely related, but seem fairly close..




Yamato hugger -> RE: small question (4/17/2009 8:57:49 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: jeffk3510

My old roomate in college was a distant relative of Hasso von Manteuffel, not sure how closely related, but seem fairly close..



A "fairly close" "distant relative"? [&:]



Hornblower -> RE: small question (4/17/2009 9:29:10 PM)

I had One Great Uncle on my Mothers side who was with the 1st ID at Torch, Sicily, normandy and the Bulge.  another with with the 5th Marines in Korea.  Dad was actually shipped out as a little Lad from England during the Blitz (they never went back) while my Grandfather fought in the Med in the 8th Army with Monty.  My greatuncle on that side of the family was in the RAAF during the battle of Britian and till V-E day. the 3rd brother was in the RN..



Yamato hugger -> RE: small question (4/17/2009 10:07:59 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: Hornblower

my Grandfather fought in the Med in the 8th Army with Monty.


He fought with Monty? [sm=sterb029.gif]

Who won? [:D]



Hornblower -> RE: small question (4/17/2009 10:17:15 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: Yamato hugger


quote:

ORIGINAL: Hornblower

my Grandfather fought in the Med in the 8th Army with Monty.


He fought with Monty? [sm=sterb029.gif]

Who won? [:D]


Ah, Very good. i guess i did serve that one up didn't i? [;)]



Ol_Dog -> RE: small question (4/17/2009 10:56:16 PM)

I believe that to hear Monty tell it, he never lost a battle



bilbow -> RE: small question (4/18/2009 2:49:26 AM)

My dad was in the army and spent the war at an AA battery at Hoboken NJ. Was to old to be sent overseas. My mom's brother was in the 2nd Marines. He was a musician so he was tranferred out to a new band unit some general wanted, about 6 weeks before Tarawa. Never wanted to talk about the visits later to what remained of his company in the hospital.



Japan -> RE: small question (4/24/2009 5:17:57 PM)

My grandpa fought for the Allies (for MILORG), and his Brother volunteered into the SS.
Their father (my Grand grandfather) was a Nationalist Socialist, but was arrested by Gestapo because of the actions of one of his sons, he was sent to Matthausen in 1944.
He survived the war and comed back to Norway in 1946, but was arrested in 1947 by the Allies for refusing to tell were his SS son was hiding. He eventually committed suicide in a Norwegian Prison in December 1947.



TulliusDetritus -> RE: small question (4/24/2009 6:03:01 PM)

What many people are saying on this thread confirms what I always suspected: those who saw combat (as opposed to the WW1 General on his bunker 40 km behind the front) do NOT talk about their war experiences. Too traumatic.



DivePac88 -> RE: small question (4/24/2009 6:28:53 PM)

My Granddad (Mother’s side) was with the New Zealand 2nd Division, which was part of the 8th Army in the Western Desert. He was wounded and captured by the Germans at Ruweisat Ridge in July 1942, when the 4th NZ Brigade was caught in the open by DAKs 2 Panzer Divisions, and 3 out of 4 Battalions were wiped out. He spent the rest of the war in a POW camps in Italia and Germany, and was liberated at the end. He never forgave the British, because one of their Armored Brigades (22nd I think) should have been covering them, but it stopped for breakfast 20miles short of their position that morning.



Canoerebel -> RE: small question (4/24/2009 7:23:39 PM)

My father, Mack A. Roper, is 85 and in great condition (the rascal beats me by 40 stroke in golf, partly because he's good and partly because I'm pathetic).  He was a sergeant in the U.S. Army during World War II, serving in the Office of Strategic Services.  He was part of a radio-intercept unit.  He and his group would listen to radio broadcasts by German spies, and then call in an OSS team to either "take out" the spies or "flip them" to join the Allies as double agents. 

Dad landed at Normandy on D+4 or D+5.  He's going back for the 65th anniversary this year.

I've told this story before in another thread, but Dad's outfit was stationed at a French chateau near the Swiss frontier in early 1945.  He was present when the Germans arrived to discuss the surrender of the German army in Italy.  To keep the proceedings secret, the Germans were given American uniforms and ID.  My father donated his dogtags to that effort.

Another time, my father was at a urinal.  For some reason he was wearing a tunic with his sergeant's stripes, but also had a Lieutenant's insignia (perhaps on his shoulder, collar, or cap).  A general (I think it was Spaatz of the USAAF, but my memory is rusty) came in to use the adjacent urinal.  He was a bit tipsy, looked at my father's conflicting rank-markings, and blurted, "What the hell are you?"

When I was a child, we had a utility room that held a box full of WWII mementos including a German Army helmet and other cool stuff.

My father wasn't ever in combat.  I think the worst thing he observed in the war was a British Lancaster bomber exploding.  He said the largest piece left was no bigger than his hand.

My Dad is uber-proud at having served his country in World War II.  There is no doubt in his mind that we were the good guys.



JWE -> RE: small question (4/24/2009 9:08:02 PM)

I remember my step father vividly. And he could always kick my butt on the golf course, and smile so paternally when he took my money. He flew for Navy, got out of Pensacola in ’44, was at Okinawa, but never spoke a word about it. He taught me and my half sisters how to fly. God, how he loved airplanes!

I remember when I volunteered, and he just nodded his head slowly and said “well that should complete your education, hmmm.” Also remember my first trip home after my first tour. We were sitting in the living room, watching the planes on final down Tampa Bay. He didn’t say a word, he just took my hand, and together we just watched. He never spoke about his experiences; I never asked him and he never asked me. I think it was enough that we knew, and that private thoughts are just that.



Anthropoid -> RE: small question (4/25/2009 2:49:20 AM)

Found this pretty easy. Quite good B-17 video.

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1235410/ww2_b_17_bomber_raid/



stuman -> RE: small question (4/26/2009 3:30:10 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: Anthropoid

Found this pretty easy. Quite good B-17 video.

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1235410/ww2_b_17_bomber_raid/



It's interesting how the music only soundtrack effects you when you watch a clip like that. The music here was meloncholy , much different effect if a more warlike soundtrack had been used.



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