Veterans Day Parade

[CarlS]

Had a great day yesterday. Mae Lyne and I left for Sanford at sun up yesterday to ride with the PGR in the Sanford Veterans Day parade. About 25 of us met for breakfast in Sanford. It was really great seeing old friends at a fun PGR mission as opposed to a funeral mission. Thirty-one bikes and two cages gathered at the staging area for the parade. The morning was clear and sunny. When we left, the temp was 58 F (14.4 C) and climbed to about 78 F (25.5 C) by parade time. The parade route was .5 miles (.8 kilometers) through downtown Sanford ending at the veterans memorial park on the river front. A thirty minute ceremony followed in which I was the guest speaker (if you can't dazzle 'em with brilliance, baffle 'em with BS). One of the highlights was one of the Tuskegee Airman attending the event. For those of you outside the US, the Tuckegee Airman were Army Air Corps pilots in WWII - the first black pilots, navigators, etc in the US military. They broke the race barrier. It was great to be in the presence of this unassuming, everyday man. He is trying to talk his wife into letting him buy a bike (he is in his early 80's.

After the parade, we rode to the Winter Springs Veterans of Foreign Wars lodge for lunch. John, the the Tuskegee Airman, joined us. It was a great day for a ride and to enjoy good fellowship with friends and make new friends. Mae Lyne and I are going to take her sidecar rig up to Lake City so that John and his wife can try a hack; he hopes she will go for a hack or a trike. He rode in his younger days and had a BMW when he was stationed in Germany following the WWII.

 

[DaveM]

Re: Verans Day Parade

Sound like you will get him his bike after all, nothing like a ride to change a persons attitude towards riding :y18:

 

[dazco]

Re: Verans Day Parade

Sounds like one heck of a time Carl. Glad it was good. I hope you somehow found a way to work the triumph name into that speech. :ya2:

 

[Rocky]

Great report :y115:
Next Tuesday is Remembrance Day, Veterans Day or Armistice Day depending on where you live.
Take a moment and give thanks for the sacrifices they made so that we can live free.
As an amateur WWII historian I am well aware of who the Tuskegee airmen were. I would be honored to meet one of them.
Years ago back in the Sixties I was visiting relatives in the US. My relatives took me to a social function and later after we had left one of them casually mentioned that so-and-so was one of the original Flying Tigers in WWII.
I nearly busted a gut because they didn't tell me who the man was that I had just been talking to. We were introduced but I didn't recognize his name and had no clue.
Talk about your opportunities lost!

 

[CarlS]

I had the pleasure of meeting Robert L. Scott on several occasions. He lived near us. For those who are less familiar with WWII. Scot was one of the Flying Tigers and wrote the books, God is my Copilot and I owned the Sky I also had the privilege of meeting several of the veterans of the Doolittle Raid. Early in my Army career, I served with a veteran of Merrill's Marauders.

At the Memorial Day in Sanford, there were six of the Tuskegee Airman present. They all had lunch with us.

 

[Rocky]

Carl, to say that I'm envious is and understatement!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I've read Scott's books and know all about the Doolittle Raid as well as the famous Merrill's Marauders. Those men and their exploits are legendary!

 

[mjj338]

As a 52 years old European, (Flanders, Belgium)I learned a few things about the history I wasn't aware of.
on November 11th we celebrate armystice, we commemorate the end of the great war, WWI.
There will be celebrations held in Ieper, and other places in West-Flanders, "Flanders Fields."
With lots of visitors from the UK, Canada, and other countries.
People who come to visit the graves of their brother, their father, who gave their young life
for our freedom.They will never be forgotten...
Let's take lessons from the past, that such things never happen again.

 

[CarlS]

Rocky, when the US army introduced subdued name tapes and patches for the old fatigue uniform back in the late 60's and early 70's, the only unit patch the army never authorized or made in the subdued version was the patch of the 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional) - Merrili's Marauders. Either there were so few of those guys still in the service or they figured that if the enemy spotted that patch, the enemy would run!

Now this was years ago when I was a young soldier (yes, Geoff, I was once a young soldier), the Merrill's Marauders vet, myself and several other soldiers left base to partake of the local night life (read bars). Back then, things were a lot wilder and drinking and fighting merely resulted in a slap on the wrist. We were seated at a table when some young airborne hot shots came over and started making fun of the old buck sergeant sitting with us. He finally had enough and stood up turning so the hot shots could see his right sleeve and the patch of the 5307th. One of the four immediately recognized it. He stepped back, grabbed his buddies, whispered to them and they all came to the table, apologized and shook his hand. Even 25 years later, the respect for that unit was still there.

 

[CarlS]

[quote author=mjj338 link=topic=2426.msg16692#msg16692 date=1226263994]
As a 52 years old European, (Flanders, Belgium)I learned a few things about the history I wasn't aware of.
on November 11th we celebrate armystice, we commemorate the end of the great war, WWI.
There will be celebrations held in Ieper, and other places in West-Flanders, "Flanders Fields."
With lots of visitors from the UK, Canada, and other countries.
People who come to visit the graves of their brother, their father, who gave their young life
for our freedom.They will never be forgotten...
Let's take lessons from the past, that such things never happen again.
[/quote]

You are absolutely correct. Unfortunately, the Great War did not turn out to be the "war to end all wars'. Beginning in 1939 the world was back at it again, 21 years after the armistice. In 1959, the US Congress passed and President Eisenhower signed into law a measure that turned Armistice Day into Veterans Day recognizing and honoring all veterans - all who have served - rather than just the WWI vets.

 

[Rocky]

Another great story, Carl :y115: :y115:

 

[DaveM]

Carl is this the patch you are referring to

 

[The Seeker]

Great stuff and good show Carl!!

I have to ask though.....they don't have their parade ON Veteran's Day?????

I have a pet peeve about things like that.....Catholics having Mass on Saturday, 4th of July fireworks on another day, etc. for the sake of convenience.

Anyhow, my Dad was a "China Marine" a few years in China before Pearl Harbor, albeit on the ground and not in the air.

 

[Pooksta]

A coupla years back, I saw a movie called "The Tuskeegee Airmen". I love anything to do with military and flying in particular. However, I had never heard of these brave African Americans before. I was stunned by the movie and thought it was a great story, the only difference is that it was true!

Pleased to hear that you know a few of them Carl. When ya see them next, tell them from me all the way down under is Oz that I am proud at what they acheived and they have my greatest respect.

Lee :y115:

 

[CarlS]

[quote author=DaveM link=topic=2426.msg16711#msg16711 date=1226289028]
Carl is this the patch you are referring to

[/quote]

Dave, that is a later version. This is the original versions as far a s I can determine.

I did learn why a subdued version of the patch was never authorized. The Army never officially designed a patch for the 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional). The unit designed it themselves. Thus it was never an official patch; but the Army did allow it to be worn - especially in light of the heroic history of the unit. It is the only Army unit where in which every member was awarded the Bronze Star for gallantry.

 

[CarlS]

[quote author=The Seeker link=topic=2426.msg16716#msg16716 date=1226294135]
Great stuff and good show Carl!!

I have to ask though.....they don't have their parade ON Veteran's Day?????

I have a pet peeve about things like that.....Catholics having Mass on Saturday, 4th of July fireworks on another day, etc. for the sake of convenience.

Anyhow, my Dad was a "China Marine" a few years in China before Pearl Harbor, albeit on the ground and not in the air.
[/quote]

AJ, that is also a pet peeve of mine. But by holding it on Saturday, you get a better turnout and less disruption to business and commerce.

 

[DaveM]

[quote author=CarlS link=topic=2426.msg16777#msg16777 date=1226325452]
It is the only Army unit where in which every member was awarded the Bronze Star for gallantry.

[/quote]

Now this is something I think I may just do a bit of reading up on them I am sure the net will bring up plenty of interesting stuff

 

[CarlS]

[quote author=Pooksta link=topic=2426.msg16723#msg16723 date=1226299789]

A coupla years back, I saw a movie called "The Tuskeegee Airmen". I love anything to do with military and flying in particular. However, I had never heard of these brave African Americans before. I was stunned by the movie and thought it was a great story, the only difference is that it was true!

Pleased to hear that you know a few of them Carl. When ya see them next, tell them from me all the way down under is Oz that I am proud at what they acheived and they have my greatest respect.

Lee :y115:
[/quote]

Lee, the Tuskegee Airmen will all tell you that 75% of that movie was pure Hollywood and not an accurate portrayal. However, the general story is true. Those guys made history and served proudly with distinction. I will pass your comments on to them.

 

[CarlS]

[quote author=DaveM link=topic=2426.msg16779#msg16779 date=1226325937]
[quote author=CarlS link=topic=2426.msg16777#msg16777 date=1226325452]
It is the only Army unit where in which every member was awarded the Bronze Star for gallantry.

[/quote]

Now this is something I think I may just do a bit of reading up on them I am sure the net will bring up plenty of interesting stuff
[/quote]

Dave, there are some excellent books written by members of the unit that vividly describe what they went through. Hollywood made a movie, Merrill's Marauders, which portrays them Hollywood style.

 

[DaveM]

I always view the movies of these events for what they are worth and if interested do my own research.