I was never in the service,but my father was a Sea Bee during World War II,he served in the South Pacific,he had some stories to tell me as boy growing up,I have a chest of stuff he brought back from over there,pictures newspapers etc. Japanese pilot gloves,a Japanese comb made from fish bone. MY dad has been gone for 25 years,but I still remember his stories well.He was homebuilder in our area for years after he returned(and before he went to the service) from overseas Anyone else want to remininsce. I like to read and hear stories from vets.
Vets or relative of vets
- Thread starter Hillbilly
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ERNIEB
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Hillbilly, I grew up around a bunch of WWII vets. My Dad was with the 2nd Division when it went into Normandy. He didn't bring much back, and it was almost impossible to get him to talk about it. Now my uncles were different. One was with the 101st Airborne he had alot of stories. Another was with the 19th bombardment in the South Pacific, they flew B29's. He was on Tinamin (sp?) when a plane named Enola Gay took off.
Another was with the 8th AF, another with the 1st Marines. I even have a cousin who during the war when he turned 16 lied about his age and joined the Navy. I've seen pictures of him in his uniform and how he fooled anybody is beyond me.
I heard plenty of stories from this bunch. I also knew when I got drafted in 69, there was no going to Canada for me. They would have hunted me down, and brought me back themselves/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif When I think about it these days, I'm amazed they all made it back home.
Ernie
Another was with the 8th AF, another with the 1st Marines. I even have a cousin who during the war when he turned 16 lied about his age and joined the Navy. I've seen pictures of him in his uniform and how he fooled anybody is beyond me.
I heard plenty of stories from this bunch. I also knew when I got drafted in 69, there was no going to Canada for me. They would have hunted me down, and brought me back themselves/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif When I think about it these days, I'm amazed they all made it back home.
Ernie
Amazed they made it back home!!!??? What about those B-17 crews over germany??????? Those guys were HERO'S above and beyond!!!!!!! Imagine, everyday, waking up to, today is your last day (on earth). Pushing forward, no matter the consequences. BEFORE THE LONG RANGE FIGHTERS. To this day it still amazes me what it took to get in that airplane and go fly .............
scruffy
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Kubmech, one of my Uncles was a B-17 pilot making those runs over Germany. He won the medal of honor for flying it back and landing, with most of the crew dead, and him missing a big chunk of his skull. He lived until 1953 when he got his head lighly bumped against the side window in his car, died instantly from it. I agree with your opinion of their feats and nerve to make that run!
heehaw
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my dad spent his time in the phillipines, hand to hand combat, had a dud bomb drop in the middle of the landing craft he was on(from his description, everyone on board was white as a sheet), dug a fox hole, just to have an officer order him out of it, so he went to a fallen tree for cover. he never would discuss it with me, but he did some others, just a short while before cancer got him. he brought back a big wad of japanese money and some other things, all lost when the house burned in the early 60's. this was quite a generation to be proud of, i sure miss him..
heehaw
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cowboydoc
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My grandfather and great uncles were all in WWII, he had six brothers, and they never talk about it. I've tryed to get my Grandpa to talk about it but he won't very much. My uncles don't either. They have gone back to some army reunions though. My father was killed in Dec. 1968 while stationed in Korea. He was a doctor in the Army and was killed by an attack on their post. My uncle was in Vietnam and he was a sharpshooter. He doesn't talk a whole lot about it but he can sure shoot like nothing you've ever seen.
StoneHeartFarm
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Scruffy,
A couple of years ago there was an airshow at one of the airports near here and I got to tour a B17G. By the time I climbed back out I was very nearly in tears. There is NO WAY I would climb into one of those things and fly into combat. I just don't have those kind of guts. Being inside was like being in a series of sardine cans connected by tunnels and all built to service a great big hole in the floor. To imagine flying in one with people shooting at you and no place to hide...
Well, I have to respect anybody that did it. Those guys must have been scared to death every time they went up.
SHF
A couple of years ago there was an airshow at one of the airports near here and I got to tour a B17G. By the time I climbed back out I was very nearly in tears. There is NO WAY I would climb into one of those things and fly into combat. I just don't have those kind of guts. Being inside was like being in a series of sardine cans connected by tunnels and all built to service a great big hole in the floor. To imagine flying in one with people shooting at you and no place to hide...
Well, I have to respect anybody that did it. Those guys must have been scared to death every time they went up.
SHF
scruffy
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SHF, The only time I was in one was right after my Uncle's funeral. They had one on display near the cemetary where he was interned. You are sure right about the size! Not what one would imagine, from all that you hear/read about them and the job they accomplished.
StoneHeartFarm
Veteran Member
Scruffy,
Not what you would expect from walking under the wings! The wings are huge. It's like being in a garage.
SHF
Not what you would expect from walking under the wings! The wings are huge. It's like being in a garage.
SHF
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Hillbilly,
I had an uncle who was a See Bee in WWII, he had some great stories. Sadly, after he died my cousin sold all of his dad's war memorabilia (sic?) for drugs. He never has grasped what a great guy his dad was or the sacrifice he made for his country.
PitbullMidwest
I had an uncle who was a See Bee in WWII, he had some great stories. Sadly, after he died my cousin sold all of his dad's war memorabilia (sic?) for drugs. He never has grasped what a great guy his dad was or the sacrifice he made for his country.
PitbullMidwest
TerryinMD
Veteran Member
My dad worked in the steel mills during the war which allowed him an exemption. I know that he took a lot of flack from my uncles. Was that a good or bad thing? Don't know, but he took his reasoning with him to his grave.
One of my uncles and a neighbor fought in the Battle of the Bulge and lived through that mess. The neighbors son went to Nam, had his buddy killed, escorted his buddy's body back to the states, went back to Nam and was killed a week later. My uncle and our neighbor cried their eyes out at the funeral.
About 5 years ago, my father-in-law (an airplane nut) found out that a friend of his was a tail-gunner on a B25 during WWII. They found out that the plane was still flying in the Confederate Air Force. So what a bunch of my father-in-laws friends did was to get the B25 to come to Somerset, PA for a 4th of July parade fly-over and to have this old airman fly on his plane some 50 years later. Can you image!!!! In was one of neatest things I have ever witnessed. There wasn't a dry eye around.....
One of my uncles and a neighbor fought in the Battle of the Bulge and lived through that mess. The neighbors son went to Nam, had his buddy killed, escorted his buddy's body back to the states, went back to Nam and was killed a week later. My uncle and our neighbor cried their eyes out at the funeral.
About 5 years ago, my father-in-law (an airplane nut) found out that a friend of his was a tail-gunner on a B25 during WWII. They found out that the plane was still flying in the Confederate Air Force. So what a bunch of my father-in-laws friends did was to get the B25 to come to Somerset, PA for a 4th of July parade fly-over and to have this old airman fly on his plane some 50 years later. Can you image!!!! In was one of neatest things I have ever witnessed. There wasn't a dry eye around.....
ERNIEB
Platinum Member
Kubmech, what I meant was as many relatives as I had in the war and most were in combat, it's amazing they all came back alive.
My uncle who was in the 8th AF was with one of those B17 crews. He was wounded over Germany, and when he got out of the hospital, they grounded him, and stuck him in Admin. He somehow managed to stay in, and retired from the Air Force.
Ernie
My uncle who was in the 8th AF was with one of those B17 crews. He was wounded over Germany, and when he got out of the hospital, they grounded him, and stuck him in Admin. He somehow managed to stay in, and retired from the Air Force.
Ernie
scruffy
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I think that if given the opportunity to have been in WWII or Korea, over 'Nam', I would have accepted either. At least they had 'lines' of demarcation so to speak. Nam? Where you stood, is essentially what you owned, and there was a dispute over that! The others had 'troop' movements, Nam had individual movements to and from incountry. I know I was out in the field one day, and two days later standing curbside in the world....what a trip! Had a car backfire, and found myself rather sheepishly crawling out from under a 4X4 a few moments later! Darn near killed the wife a few times from 1. Branch scraping on window pain in middle of the night.
2. Siren going off at local fire station in the middle of the night....she learned NOT to sleep on the outside of the bed!
2. Siren going off at local fire station in the middle of the night....she learned NOT to sleep on the outside of the bed!
ERNIEB
Platinum Member
My uncle who was in the 101st was also in the battle of the bulge, When I was in I was a medic, and he use to get a big kick out of telling me about a medic that was with them in Bastogne. It seems this guy had got a hold of a 45, and straped it on. As soon as he did he began swaggering around like gen. Patton. Well, when it looked like they were going to be over run by the Germans, the guy started to think it might not be such a good idea to be carring a weapon if he was captured. To the great amusement of the airborne troopers, he started trying desperately to get rid of it. "You better hang on to that" they kidded him "You might need it before the day is over". Here the story takes a sad turn, that evening the medic found what he thought was peppermint candy. Turned out to be horse sedative. A strange way to die in a war.
Ernie
Ernie
An old friend of mine who is about 84 years old was in the service before and during WWII served was in the service for about 13 years and served on a sub for about 7 years as a diesel mechanic,has told me many stories,the ones I find the most interesting was sitting low and trying to avoid Japanese sonar,he said they would shut everything down(that was possible to shut down) and walk around in there bare feet to be quiet,he said there had been times depth charges were dropped and the insulation on the inside of the sub would come off the walls and it would look like a (flower factory as he said) because of all the dust in the air.
I had another old friend who passed on and was over in Europe and he flew some type of glider that was used to land jeeps,small dozers and etc in the field.He told me one time they were landing and the Germans had figured out somehow about there impending approach and put poles up all over the fields,and of course once they were released there was no turning back,he said they were dodging those poles and crash landing into ditches etc,a lot of men were hurt and crushed because of the cargo going forward in the gliders upon there rough landings and impact.
I had another old friend who passed on and was over in Europe and he flew some type of glider that was used to land jeeps,small dozers and etc in the field.He told me one time they were landing and the Germans had figured out somehow about there impending approach and put poles up all over the fields,and of course once they were released there was no turning back,he said they were dodging those poles and crash landing into ditches etc,a lot of men were hurt and crushed because of the cargo going forward in the gliders upon there rough landings and impact.
Boondox
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I met the best friend I ever had while we were serving as corpsmen with a Marine infantry company. Dave and I quickly became inseparable, and had many excellent times together. We used to kid each other about the sort of women we would someday marry, but always there was the certainty that we would grow old together, that our wives would like each other if they wanted to stay married to us.
We were only 19 when we saw combat. I came home; he didn't. And to this day I cry on the anniversary of his death.
Pete
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We were only 19 when we saw combat. I came home; he didn't. And to this day I cry on the anniversary of his death.
Pete
www.GatewayToVermont.com
Ernie, my punctuation may have been off. Maybe should have said, speaking of amazed they made it back alive!!!!???
holy cow what about...........And definitely not to take anything away from the rest of the heros in all the conflicts we've faced. When I think of the dedication to duty of all our vets, those bomber crews really stand out in my mind. Maybe because I can relate to them, flying pretty much defenseless through the flack and overwhelming onslaught of fighters , holding
formation and getting the job done, similiar to the airdrop missions I train for in the C-130. I have to believe the way we fight our conflicts today our crews will never have to fly against the odds they did. Hope you did'nt take me wrong, definitely was'nt taking a shot at you.
Kubmech
holy cow what about...........And definitely not to take anything away from the rest of the heros in all the conflicts we've faced. When I think of the dedication to duty of all our vets, those bomber crews really stand out in my mind. Maybe because I can relate to them, flying pretty much defenseless through the flack and overwhelming onslaught of fighters , holding
formation and getting the job done, similiar to the airdrop missions I train for in the C-130. I have to believe the way we fight our conflicts today our crews will never have to fly against the odds they did. Hope you did'nt take me wrong, definitely was'nt taking a shot at you.
Kubmech
Tdog
Platinum Member
I've enjoyed reading about the various stories in this thread. My wife's uncle was in the 3rd Army during WWII and he also served in occuupied Japan - - and later in Korea. He had an incredible memory & seemed to enjoy talking about his experiences. Later in life, after his wife of many years died, he remarried. One of his new wife's no-good sons sold off much of his war memoribelia [sp?] to support his drug habit. Really ticked off my wife, whose father was killed in the Phillipines.
If you are into WWII history, I encourage you to visit the D-Day Museum in New Orleans. They've done a 1st rate job there. It grew out of the Eisenhower Center, run by Steven Ambrose when he was on the faculty of the University of New Orleans. Ambrose had been collecting 'oral history' for years, by tape recording veterans. Of course, vets are dying off now at at quickening rate, so that sort of 1st hand account of events will no longer be available. These oral accounts are used throughout the Museum. It's worth the visit to New Orleans! It was something to see the opening day festivities June 6, 2000. There were flyovers [P-51's, B-17's & others], bands, and my favorite - - truckloads of vets riding in the parade with the crowd cheering & waving flags. Those guys were beaming!
Here's the website:
http://www.ddaymuseum.org/
If you are into WWII history, I encourage you to visit the D-Day Museum in New Orleans. They've done a 1st rate job there. It grew out of the Eisenhower Center, run by Steven Ambrose when he was on the faculty of the University of New Orleans. Ambrose had been collecting 'oral history' for years, by tape recording veterans. Of course, vets are dying off now at at quickening rate, so that sort of 1st hand account of events will no longer be available. These oral accounts are used throughout the Museum. It's worth the visit to New Orleans! It was something to see the opening day festivities June 6, 2000. There were flyovers [P-51's, B-17's & others], bands, and my favorite - - truckloads of vets riding in the parade with the crowd cheering & waving flags. Those guys were beaming!
Here's the website:
http://www.ddaymuseum.org/
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