zuikologist
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It was quite moving. Amazingly, the UK government managed to screw this up as well.
johnbay
Member
Greatest generation
Greatest generation
My father in law was a career naval aviator who was hunting German subs in the Atlantic on D-Day. He ultimately sank five, and was awarded the Navy Cross. He is still going strong at 91. He is very humble regarding his accomplishments, like most of his contemporaries.
Greatest generation
My father in law was a career naval aviator who was hunting German subs in the Atlantic on D-Day. He ultimately sank five, and was awarded the Navy Cross. He is still going strong at 91. He is very humble regarding his accomplishments, like most of his contemporaries.
We have an older Engineer at work, his first job was coming up with ways to hunt U-Boats. He works 5 days a week, started in 1943.
nasmformyzombie
Registered
To the greatest generation I say, Salute!
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planetjoe
Just some guy, you know?
Thanks, Indeed.
Thanks, Indeed.
Thanks to all for your stories, and to the OP for the thread.
My grandfather was in the US Signal Corps in WWII, and so crossed the beaches a bit later than most of the lads. He was a Master Sergeant in General Bradley's supply chain, and his stories of wheeling, dealing, procuring odd goods and traveling across the Continent were the first evidence I had of a larger world outside my own.
He didn't share many of what might have been darker stories; like so many others, he was cheerful and modest about having done his service for the duration.
Among the more lighthearted yarns was his account of coming home from the European Theater after V-J Day in 1945, aboard the troopship "Marine Angel". Apparently he won the chance to hot-bunk in an actual stateroom, and one night tried to cobble together a ham sandwich in the galley, probably after sneaking around to find food. During the escapade, while trying to free a piece of bread jammed in a toaster, he apparently shorted out half the superstructure.
Such were the kind of stories that he held on to - at least the ones he liked best. He passed three years ago, and somehow I miss him more each day. I'm terribly glad, at least, that he got to meet his first great-grandson, my little boy.
Hug a WWII veteran!
Cheers,
--joe.
Thanks, Indeed.
Thanks to all for your stories, and to the OP for the thread.
My grandfather was in the US Signal Corps in WWII, and so crossed the beaches a bit later than most of the lads. He was a Master Sergeant in General Bradley's supply chain, and his stories of wheeling, dealing, procuring odd goods and traveling across the Continent were the first evidence I had of a larger world outside my own.
He didn't share many of what might have been darker stories; like so many others, he was cheerful and modest about having done his service for the duration.
Among the more lighthearted yarns was his account of coming home from the European Theater after V-J Day in 1945, aboard the troopship "Marine Angel". Apparently he won the chance to hot-bunk in an actual stateroom, and one night tried to cobble together a ham sandwich in the galley, probably after sneaking around to find food. During the escapade, while trying to free a piece of bread jammed in a toaster, he apparently shorted out half the superstructure.
Such were the kind of stories that he held on to - at least the ones he liked best. He passed three years ago, and somehow I miss him more each day. I'm terribly glad, at least, that he got to meet his first great-grandson, my little boy.
Hug a WWII veteran!
Cheers,
--joe.
dan denmark
No Get Well cards please
my father joined the army air corps, became a fighter pilot instructor. on the same day his four best mates joined the navy and were subsequently killed at Pearl Harbour.
chris00nj
Young Luddite
I read that book... it added a whole new perspective. Overall, in the West, the Eastern front is largely ignored. The Poles got the worst of everything. The Warsaw uprising is hardly even talked about in the West and is largely confused with the Warsaw ghetto uprising which was much smaller. The Soviets refused to allow the British to land planes to aid the uprising. Some allies.
charjohncarter
Veteran
My Uncle didn't come back from that war, but here are a couple that made it safely home. They never really said much about it though.
JohnTF
Veteran
My Uncle and Aunt were "guests" of the Germans, but got out, found each other at a train station in France, emigrated to Mexico, the destination of the boat they could catch.
My cousin was one of the guys who never spoke of it all, fought all the way across France, his brother is still there, no one knows where.
One of my students had an SS lightning bolts inked on his hand, he did not come in my class until he had washed it off.
I suppose I broke some rules.
A colleague also never talked about it, and just before he retired he told me he liberated death camps, and there were just certain things that could not be tolerated since.
Regards, John
My cousin was one of the guys who never spoke of it all, fought all the way across France, his brother is still there, no one knows where.
One of my students had an SS lightning bolts inked on his hand, he did not come in my class until he had washed it off.
I suppose I broke some rules.
A colleague also never talked about it, and just before he retired he told me he liberated death camps, and there were just certain things that could not be tolerated since.
Regards, John