Veteran's Day Memories

[2BNTV]

I thought with the upcoming holiday that some people might want to share what some of our loved one's did, in defense of our country.

My Uncle Joe served in WWII, (Navy), in the Pacific. A quiet man who never talked about the war when I was growing up. He only started to talk about it, nearing the end of his life. He was awarded several medals and they held a day of honor for him in my hometown. He was off the coast of Japan when the first A-Bomb was dropped. He said that a lot of American lives were saved because they didn't have to invade Japan.

A humble guy who just did what he had to do honor the USA.

I am honored to have the same first name as him.

Please share your stories.

[DonH57]

Through genealogy I found my great great grandfather served in the spanish american and civil war and still had time for 9 children. My father served in the Korean war as an army MP. A couple of my father's uncles served in WW2. I'm retired air force. There are times I miss it when I see our young men and women in uniform.

[redwitch]

My father was a career soldier -- ran away to join the Army at age 15; ended up a full bird (mustang) with a Ph.D., which he got while being on active duty through correspondence courses and local classes when possible. He was one of the men who helped create the Red Ball Express. If you can't tell, I'm inordinately proud of him and ever so grateful to be his daughter and to have been taught his values.

My brother did three tours in Vietnam not because he liked war but because he felt he could save a life or two. He would never talk about his experiences over there other than that Dad would not have been ashamed of any action he took.

To those who served with honor, thank you. We all owe you a debt that can never be repaid.

[beachman46]

Happy birthday to all Marines past, present and former. I was in the Corps 66-67 in Viet Nam weapons platoon Bravo 1/9. We lost a lot of good men.

Semper Fi to all

Good night Chesty where ever you are

[Hooten]

My father was a Marine, First Division, Guadacanal. He rarely talked
about what they endured until the last years of his life.

I watched the Ken Burn's series re WWII. I then realized the hell
they went through and the guts they had. All the men and women
serving during WWII deserved medals.

Thanks to everyone who has honored our country with their service.

[2BNTV]

My father was a Marine, First Division, Guadacanal. He rarely talked
about what they endured until the last years of his life.

I watched the Ken Burn's series re WWII. I then realized the hell
they went through and the guts they had. All the men and women
serving during WWII deserved medals.

Thanks to everyone who has honored our country with their service.

:agree: I saw the Ken Burns WWII documentary and I commented to my uncle, that it seemed horific and he said, "that was nothing". I guess he saw it upfront and personal.

They are called "the greatest generation". Hats off, to all that have served.

[stroglass]

My late dad served in Korea he devoted his life to veteran affairs and helping vets get what was due to them. I had the pleasure of going back to Korea with him to celebrate the the 60th anniversary of the battle of Inchon ,which he was part of. This was his dieing wish to go back and see what his service resulted in. I have to say the Korean people could not have been more grateful to these men for their service little children. Would ask him if he was in the war and thank him. It was wonderful to share this experience with him as he and many others were honored by the Korean government .I miss him every day he instilled the patriotism i feel. His slogan to live by was "freedom is not free" . His later years he went to schools in our area and spoke to the chidden about the war and the value of the America veteran.

[OCsun]

My father, Paul Kendall, was a First Sergeant in the 110 Field Artillery of the 29 th Division, that landed on Normandy Beach during the D-Day Invasions. If there was a military show on TV which referenced the war he would sometimes cry causing my mother to turn off the television.

In his honor, I made the trip back to France, and laid flowers on a stone memorial which had been placed on the beach, 45 years after the landing. It marked where his unit and many others came on shore.

He was not just a loving and caring father, he was a very brave man who never forgot, the men he lost. I am honored to be his daughter.

[nancy32163]

First off, Thank you to all who serve & have served to keep me & my family free. My father Michael George Gilara served in 5 battles in WW II. Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Battle of Ardennes & Central Europe. He was in the first wave in Normandy--the Big Red One. He was a mine detector. Coming ashore in the Higgins boats he was pushed out, could not swim with water over his head, had to let go of his weapons anything that weighted him down but a buddy pushed him to shore. On patrol, he came across 3 young german boys who asked him for cigarettes of which my dad gave them each one. The next day, he found the 3 boys shot to death right where he had given them the cigarettes. This always bothered dad. Dad said they dug holes and lined side of the dugout for sleep quarters with cardboard and slept like that. He awoke to his buddies gone & guns pointed at him. Dad was taken prisoner of war for 2 weeks until the war ended. He said the germans treated him nice. His POW papers were lost in the fire at headquarters. My husband who is a retired LTC was reading his Military officer magazine and found a link to a website & long story short dad received a $100 monthly check until he died in 2001. My dad was a brave man and I miss him very very much. Nancy

[Pepperhead]

My wife and both daughters all served twenty years or longer. Proud of all of them. Here is the youngest one reenlisting her friend while flying over Taliban territory.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v368/allsteel29/4moreyears2.jpg

And safely back on the ground

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v368/allsteel29/2323232327Ffp643Dot3E23353D993A3D36.jpg

And "breaking some rules"

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v368/allsteel29/Sun7OctSandT.jpg

[BobAllen1290]

Both of my grandfathers were Navy sailors in WW-1. My dad was in the Army Air Corps and was the captain of a B-24.

[kittygilchrist]

thanks for the thread, Joe.
My cousin, who married my...nevermind, it happened it Tennessee. Anyway, my cousin was at Iwo Jima and watched the flag planting. He died this past year.
A great Christian man, who lived his faith on his sleeve every day. RIP Ray Brown.
and my dad, Irie Brown, served in the Air Force, and I brought with me to TV the armoire that I opened as a child at my grandparents' to marvel at his snazzy sergeant uniform. Dad and the uniform went away, but I'll see Dad and Ray again when I go to heaven.

[OCsun]

Peperhead,

Your pictures are great! You should be proud!! Thanks for sharing!

[Pepperhead]

Peperhead,

Your pictures are great! You should be proud!! Thanks for sharing!

Thank you. I am very proud, and I will be attending her retirement ceremony at the end of the month.

[senior citizen]

...................

[2BNTV]

Yours is the quintessential memory of a family member who served in WWII era. They were humble guys; did their duty and never talked about it much when they returned home..........just went on with life.

Your Uncle Joe reminds me of my Uncle Mike / Michael. My mom's younger brother.

Uncle Mike served in the South Pacific.....in the Mariana Islands.

When he tried to enlist in the U.S. Army he was told his eyesight was so poor that he would be 4F. He persisted and they accepted him.

I think I inherited his eyes, for sure. Thus my "big print" on a former post that so outraged one other person.

Due to Uncle Mike's poor vision and thick eyeglasses, they didn't put him into combat per se......except he really was "cleaning up the messes" as they put him into a Medics Corps.

His job was to remove the dog tags and put the deceased soldiers into body bags. He came back after the war with nightmares.......but still retained his pleasant personality and just "went on with life".......rarely talked about his war experiences, except to my mom, and of course, his own wife....my Aunt Jo. He was a great uncle and my Godfather.
My Ukrainian uncle. Handsome young man.

I have great photos of him in Hawaii and on Guam plus in the Mariana Islands, South Pacific.

Speaking of the SOUTH PACIFIC........great DVD series "THE PACIFIC".
Presented by Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, and Gary Goetzman.
"The Pacific" is well worth watching........makes one realize what these young men went through fighting the Japanese.

Another good DVD series which we also own, is "BAND OF BROTHERS"
Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg

"They Depended on Each Other and The World Depended on Them".

I just took both "sets" out of our entertainment center....very much worth watching over again this month of November.......

p.s.
My dad was named Joe (Joseph), I had several Uncle Joe's, cousin Joe's, and nephew Joe's........I can also go back to one of the original Giuseppe's in 1599......the name was prevalent through 1799 in our family tree, and then on and on.........with the Italian naming tradition. Nowadays, everyone gives their new baby a unique individual name........but back then they kept naming the newborns after the ancestors.....that's why so many Joe's.

Excellent post. Your family's history seems very similar to my families. Thanks for sharing.