I love to hear about people’s war stories. I know there are some people on this site that are up there in age and might have experienced some action. So please tell your stories. It doesn’t have to be action packed or anything spectacular. I know that war can be very traumatic and some people wish to not relive their memories or even talk about it, and I respect that. If so, you can simply just say where you were stationed and if you liked it etc. If you had a friend or relative in war maybe you can talk about them and what they did.
I would like to start off by telling a story. My dad was over his best friend’s house and it was during the draft for Vietnam. While in the basement of his friend’s house the brother said goodbye because he was shipping off to Vietnam. While in Vietnam the brother was on his way back from a mission and was sniped in the back by a sniper. My dad always talked about this because he was there when the brother saw his family the very last time. I guess it just made him think about how it could have been him or maybe his own brother.
My grandfather was a medic in WWII. He came up on one of the beaches (I can't remember which one, I believe it was Omaha), and got his helmet shot off. My information about his experiences are very brief and blurry. I've only heard bits and pieces here and there. Some time during the war, something happened to him (told you it was brief). He was awarded the purple heart and sent home.
I never knew about this until a few years ago, when my uncle came over to get the papers for the medal. I'm not sure exactly what happened, but I think it might have been bad since NO ONE even told me of my grandfather's involvment in the war. I would have like to have known earlier. I have the deepest respect for those who have gone to war and am proud that my grandfather served in what was the pivotal moment in the 20th century.
Kevin: Remember that one time when I ate those napkins?
Me: (laughing) Yeah.
Kevin: That was funny. Do you remember what made me do it?
Me: I'm pretty sure you just said, "Hey, watch me eat these napkins".
Kevin: (laughing) Yeah, that sounds about right.
When my stepfather passed away my sister in law sent away for his military record, he had always told everybody that he was a paratrooper , but some of his stories didnt jive. Sherry said that she would be heartbroken if he lied.
My sister in law got a hold of a records officer in Arlington and asked him if he had been a paratrooper or not. The officer said ''no''. She then asked him'' what did he do then?''. He said ''its top secret, so I cant tell you over the phone, but I can send you the paperwork''.
It turns out that he was an airplane mechanic , working here in San Diego, on top secret prototype fighter planes. He was instructed not to ever reveal what he did , so that enemy spies couldnt get information from him .
Even 50 years after WWII he never told anybody, even though the technology he worked on is now completely obsolete, thats just the kind of guy he was.
Too bad, I bet he had some really cool stories about the very first prototype jet planes
Spaliznad - Your grandfather is really lucky he lived the beach landing. If it was Omaha then he really was lucky because it was the most fortified out of the others.
Mr. F - It so happens today I took a tour on an airplane mechanic school. I'm thinking about going, it seems like something I would enjoy. If I do have to work on "top secret" stuff then I will have to leave IN for a while
Another story of mine:
My dad’s father was stationed in India. He was a boat commander and he would drive it across some river (Kind of like a water taxi). My mom’s dad was also stationed in India and on the same river. He was a welder or something like that. It is weird because they were only a few miles apart from each other on the same river. Now this was back in WW2 and my parents didn’t meet until the 60’s. It is weird because they probably saw each other or something.
I know what you mean about my grandfather, he was lucky (in a sense). Here's something that is kind of funny: seemingly no one knows that their was a third beach- Juno.
~Z
Kevin: Remember that one time when I ate those napkins?
Me: (laughing) Yeah.
Kevin: That was funny. Do you remember what made me do it?
Me: I'm pretty sure you just said, "Hey, watch me eat these napkins".
Kevin: (laughing) Yeah, that sounds about right.
Kevin: Remember that one time when I ate those napkins?
Me: (laughing) Yeah.
Kevin: That was funny. Do you remember what made me do it?
Me: I'm pretty sure you just said, "Hey, watch me eat these napkins".
Kevin: (laughing) Yeah, that sounds about right.
I was reading the TIME Magazine issue on the 60th Anniversary. If I remember Omaha had 3 fortified German bunkers looking down on them. So you could say it was the strong point in the Atlantic wall. But we were considered “lucky” because it was a surprise attack and Hitler didn’t suspect we would make an amphibious landing. Just imagine how bad they would have had it if they knew we were coming and had more time to gather forces before the allies landed. It would have been a slaughter. I doubt they would have even made it to the shingles to place the bangalores
Have you ever heard about the French's Maginot line? It was supposed to be unpassable, and maybe it was. The Germans just went around it.
Kevin: Remember that one time when I ate those napkins?
Me: (laughing) Yeah.
Kevin: That was funny. Do you remember what made me do it?
Me: I'm pretty sure you just said, "Hey, watch me eat these napkins".
Kevin: (laughing) Yeah, that sounds about right.
Yeah it was the worst defence in history. My grandfather was in a tank comander in WW2 in the 4/7 Dragoon guards He always ahd a lot of cool stories and a few gruesome ones I remeber one story he told about an area thay camped in, it was raining that night and all the men had to sleep in the tents, anyway one of the younger boys thought he would save himself the effort and slept under his tank only problem was that because of the rain the ground wekaned and he was crushed to death by the tank slowly falling on him.
Chodder, that TIME magazine issue was wonderful. It had stories by the soldiers about D-day. Very interesting.
Spaliznad, your family can get your grandfathers war records. They became de-classified a few years ago. I recommend it to all people who had a loved one fight in WWII.
I know that my dad’s uncle (I think) was a tank commander and served with Patton. The tank he commanded was one of the first to cross the Rhine River (I think). I also know that he lost a lot of tanks. Since he was the tank commander he was the guy sticking his head out the top. He would see another tank about to shoot him so he would jump out just in time before the tank would be blown up and his crew would be killed. This happened to him like 5 times.
Wow, that's crazy Chodder. I'd rather be infantry than be in a tank division. At least nowadays. Sitting in a tank is like having a target painted on your back. We're lucky though, since everyone we've fought recently didn't have the technology we do, so we can shoot them before they can see us.
~Z
Kevin: Remember that one time when I ate those napkins?
Me: (laughing) Yeah.
Kevin: That was funny. Do you remember what made me do it?
Me: I'm pretty sure you just said, "Hey, watch me eat these napkins".
Kevin: (laughing) Yeah, that sounds about right.
I have a piece of German shrapnel in my room. Someone in my family was a bomber and he got a piece of shrapnel stuck in him, had it removed, and then my dad acquired it somehow and now I have it. I also have dog tags and medals. The medal is for good conduct. I also have patches and boat flags that all mean different things. I also have a bracelet and a WWI German helmut with a spike on the top. Oh yeah and I have ammo cans for Thompson’s and all sorts of stuff from India my grandfather brought back. I remember there was this beach and all these emeralds and diamonds would wash up on the beach and he collected some and traded them for cigars
06-03-2004 01:23 AM
