WWII Vets

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I read the post on Controversial Corner regarding BObama not recognising D Day. I don't want this thread to go political but I'd like to hear stories from members who's parents or relatives are WWII vets.

My mother, Iris, is a WWII vet - Lt in the RAF. Served in South Africa, up North and did a short spell in Italy. She was in charge of air, land and sea troop movements. Caught a German spy and broke his legs witha knob-kierrie (Zulu version of a bola thingy), had her peak shot off her head whilst riding her Bonneville past the now Voortrekker Monument in Pretoria, South Africa by the "Ossewa Brandwag" - the Nazi supporters in SA - the "Oxwagen Fire Watch", was in Italy when Mussolini was hanged and actually took photos of this for her CO. She's got a chest full of medals, marched next to Jan Smuts. Loads of stories. My nephew who is permanent force in the SA Airforce has her medals, my father's medals and my mom's cap with a hole in it. She's a crazy ol' duck of 87 now. I'll be seeing her next week and I'm afraid it may be one of the last times I'll see her. She's having more bad days than good ones but she's still sharp!

My great aunt, Lily, was in the Resistance movement in France. She was a wild woman. I only knew her for a few short years when I was a kid but I've not forgotten the stories she told me. She gave me a ruby ring - the ruby was chipped. Her story was that she used the ring to 'tap out her messages' instead of her finger!

It's the stories these Vets tell that are so precious to me and I'm just afraid that not enough personal story records are being kept for us to pass on to our kids and grandkids. These incredible soldiers should be saluted at the highest level.

To all WWII Vets - I stand in awe and respect and Salute You!
 
Well, my Father now deceased was a Gunnery Sgt in the US Marines during WWII.

He initially enlisted right out of highschool because my Grandfather wouldn't pay for him to go to college because he wanted him to follow in his footsteps and take over his barber shop.

So before WWII, he was sent to China to help fight the Japanese there. They were called China Marines.

When Pearl Harbor happened, they were brought back to San Diego to be deployed later in the island jumping campaigns. He took part on two amphibious invasions.....Peleliu and Okinawa.

He never talked much about being in combat and only would tell of funnier things that happened, but I did see some photos my Mom had stashed away of him posing with dead Japs and stuff like that.

He was ALL jarhead to the day he died though.
 
My dad is a US Coast Guard vet. He was drafted into the USCG in early 1942. He served his entire tour of duty in Miami - anti submarine and coastal patrol. An injury gained him a medical discharge in 1944. However, in early 1945 he was drafted into the Army for the invasion of Japan. Thanks to President Truman's decision, he and million others did not have to make that invasion. To be drafted twice in the same war has got to be some kind of a rarity.

Four of dad's six brothers served in WWII. One was too young and one was in a vital defense job. His oldest brother was one of the combat engineers that built the bridge for Patton and the 3rd Army to cross the Rhine. He was highly decorated. He had to swim the Rhine under fire to get the bridge started. One brother was an Army Air Corps pilot and the other two were Coast Guard and operated landing craft for the Marines in the Pacific. In one battle, not one Marine in my uncle's boat made it to shore uninjured.

On my mom's side, her two younger brothers were both in the Army - one a paratrooper and one infantry. The infantry soldier was killed; thus I never knew him. The paratrooper was injured in a jump and spent the war as an instructor at Ft Benning, GA. Her oldest brother was in a vital defense industry job. All of the kids I grew up with dads were in WWII.
 
Yeah....it was a rarity if your childhood friend's fathers or mothers didn't serve during WWII.

My best friend's Dad was in the Army and his Mother worked in the steel mill here! We had the only continous-role seamless tube plant in the world at the time and it rolled off hundreds of thousands of tank and artillery barrels. Westinghouse Electric here was churning out torpedoes like crazy. I once read that the city of Pittsburgh alone manufactured more steel during the war than all the other allies and the Axis combined.

I forgot to mention that my Mom was a nurse in the Canadian Army and my Dad's 5 Brothers were in the US Navy (no one ever said what they did in the Navy during the war though???). His 6th and youngest Brother was too young to serve.
 
Could never get either of my parents to talk much about it,that seems to be common to most of those who were actually there.............
Dad was a radio officer in the Royal Navy and mom was in the fire brigade. Given that she was 5'0" the idea of her driving a fire engine conjures up some interesting images.
 
My Grandfather on my Mothers side was a combat Engineer in WW11, served in Italy , Africa and Crete. Survived several hours in the sea having been on a ship which was torpedoed. Father was 15 when the war ended having left school at 14 and working in the coal mines, though left and did several years in the 12th Parachute Regiment .
My Grandfather on my Fathers side was in the Anglo - Boer War having joined the 18th Hussars at 17 and sailed to South Africa on the Britannic which was the Titanic,s sister ship . I have both Grandfathers sets of medals and a Cavalry Sword.
 
What great stories are coming out! :happy: Thanks to everyone for posting. :y115:

My Grandfather on my Fathers side was in the Anglo - Boer War having joined the 18th Hussars at 17 and sailed to South Africa on the Britannic which was the Titanic,s sister ship . I have both Grandfathers sets of medals and a Cavalry Sword.

It's fantastic that your family have kept the medals and sword - a piece of tangible history in your family. :y115:
 

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