Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Your family's military history..pics welcomed

Dad enlisted in the Army for one year in January, 1941. And got out in October, '46. He was first wave at Oran, survived Kasserine, first wave at Sicily and Salerno, got pulled out of Cassino to be in the first wave at Anzio, and fought up through Rome to Lake Como. Silver Star, two Bronze Stars, and numerous campaign medals. Never told us how or where he got them, and the Army records from then were destroyed in a fire, so...
My one cousin was a Seabee in Viet Nam, and wore shrapnel in his back 'til the day he died, about 10 years ago. Wouldn't talk about it. His younger brother (my age) flew the boom in tankers in the 70s. I was Army. And my youngest brother froze his ass servicing BUFFs at Loring AFB in Maine.

Thanks.
And if put on CD for storage. Get good ones. All CDs are not created equal.
Some only good for a few years.....some over 20.

5th generation Marine here

These kind of threads are the best, of the best, of this place.

Wow! Did I miss the first generation Marine?

Grandfather and Godfather in WW1
All 6 uncles, father and 2 aunts in WW2.
One uncle was in SE Asia and had earlier served with Mickey Rooney, didn’t like him.
One a 101Airborne and sniper
One a guard at Nuremberg
Father in 35 years
Brother jumped Grenada
Ex was first woman in Special Weapons
3 cousins
Niece and Nephew.
And myself.

2 Uncles in “Nam
I did 12 years in the Air Force with hardly a scratch
Had 3 nephews follow in my footsteps - Lost one in a firefight, another because of IED, last one got out ok.

Grandpa was a Naval Airplane mechanic in Cali. During WWII.

Cousin in the army as a nurse, then logistics, now retired.

BIL retired as Colonel in the Air Force 2yrs ago.

1 cousin still in. He won the Best Ranger competition in 2017 and is competing again this year ~7wks from now.

On my Dad's side, his Uncle Doad got gassed in France in WWI. He came home and and married and lived a quiet life as far as we knew. He lost a cousin on LST in the Pacific somewhere. Dad spent a year in New Caladonia fixing weapons during WWII.
Mom's side: some of her brothers were Navy in WWII. All I know of them. One of her cousins died on the
Bataan Death March. One of my cousins was in Korea, Germany and Viet Nam in the late 60's.
Wife's side goes back further......one of her great's was a Confederate General back when...lost a cousin in Turkey during WWII...grandfather spent time after WWI in Coast Guard/Navy...we don't know which and he is long gone. Brother in law spent a year in 'Nam....still has shrapnel from the year in the jungle.
Me?? spent 6 years in Guard 70-76. 3 of which we were o 30 day notice for 'Nam.....

To all those who served: Thank you. To those who we lost may you rest in peace.


I lost my 2 best friends from childhood in 'Nam.....one killed by the USArmy on his first day and one on his last day.

Someone in my direct family tree has fought in every war since the American Revolution and all lived amazingly. My dad fought in Korea, his dad in WW1. My other Granddad fought In WWII and several of my uncles fought in WWII.. My great great granddad fought in the Civil War and his dad fought in the war against Mexico. My great great great great granddad fought in the American Revolution. Had Several cousins and a brother in Vietnam. A couple of Cousins in the first Gulf War and a Nephew in the last Gulf War as well as Afghanistan...

Most all of them were Army grunts. 2 of my uncles were in the Navy in the Pacific in WWIi and one was in the Air Force in WWII...Rest were all soldiers in the Army or Marines.

My Dad was a B-29 bomber pilot. He came back from the war and raised a family of nine.

I come what seems like a military family... many certainly served....

Grandmother on step dad's side had 3 sons not return from WW2.....6 of her sons served in Korea, 3 of which served in WW2 also...

Step dad served in Korea in the USMC, was with the first troops sent for reinforcement in Korea from Japan... he was there from Nov 1950 at 18 years old, and the war ended on his 21st birthday.... he went to Korea weighing 160 lbs.... he left Korea weighing 95 pound, and pretty much skin and bones....he was in all the major actions , Chosen Reservoir etc..... he never really came home from Korea....did 10 years in the Marine Corps, and then after becoming a pilot there, re enlisted into the Air Force.... tour of SAC with B 47s then B 52s, flew RF4Cs in England, then did 49 months in Vietnam, one tour in B 52s, and then 3 tours flying C130 Blackbirds, covert operations...retired after 26 years, Colonel...
was shot down 13 times in Vietnam over 49 months...

Biological Dad, he and mom divorced when I was 2 years old... had bad PTSD from WW 2....USMC from 1941 to 1946....Guadalcanal, the Solomons, a bunch more...Iwo and Saipan...Occupation force in Japan, 1945 and 46.... his 4 other brothers were also Marines in WW2... all saw combat and each made it home in one piece..

Grandmother's Brother, career Army officer, served in Merrill's Marauders in WW2, was on MacArthur's staff, and was in the photo of Mac and his staff coming ashore in the Philippines in 1944....

Plenty more WW2, Korea.....I missed Vietnam by the skin of my teeth...served 6 years active and reserve, got out....

Proud of my family members who have served, especially those in harms way....but also felt sorry for them, as they carried the scars both externally and within for the rest of their lives...

Myself, have always felt guilty for not serving in harms way, but that was evidently not the Good Lord's plans for me... Lost my best friend growing up, 19 years old in 1970 in Vietnam.... Special Forces.. his dad also died in Vietnam, Flying Hueys in 1967.....

Many of my parents friends, when I was growing up, and were mainly military... too many of them didn't come back from Vietnam...

answering the call has been an expectation on both sides of my family....

ancestors fought for this nation, from the French and Indian War, right thru Vietnam... only exception, no one on record wore blue between 1861 and 1865....

and many on mom's side, served under Lee, Stonewall Jackson in the Army of Northern VA, especially in Mosby's Rangers.... many came home and many didn't...

God Bless all who served and special blessings on those that didn't make it home...

I have traced 11 members of my family who wore blue in the Civil War, 3 killed in combat - one at Chicamauga, one at the Battle of the Wilderness, and one at Gettysburg.

Grandfather was too young for WW1, but served in the National Guard between the wars. His older brother was waiting to report for duty in WW1, when he was paralyzed in a hunting accident. Ironically, he died of his injuries on 11/11/18. Grandmother's brother served in France during WW1, survived the Spanish flu over there, but made it home and lived into his 90's.

Dad was fortunate in that he served in a coastal artillery unit guarding the Panama Canal during WW2. Always had lots of interesting stories about the natives and the jungle wildlife. Seems he had a pretty good time there. His half brother was killed crossing the Rhine in 1945.

Mom's brother, T/Sgt. James Hulings, was KIA on his 28th bombing mission with the Mighty Eighth, age 21.

Sister's first husband served two tours in Viet Nam, came home with a Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts. Suffered from drug addiction and died young. Her second husband served as a dentist on the USS Forrestal during the Vietnam War, continued practicing dentistry in the VA hospital in Tampa until his retirement. Told me he could have doubled his pay in private practice, but felt he owed something to the veterans. A true Southern Gentleman.

My old man was in Korea, after things settled down. He was an MP.

Just recently one of my nieces was here and she was asking him about Korea. Now I’ve heard his stories for years, so I was half listening (probably reading something on the Fire). When he got to the part of I yelled halt,.....and fired and “one” dropped then I paid attention. He had kept that to himself for decades.

I thought it was pretty cool when we found out wifey’s,I dunno how many Greats, grandfather was killed and buried somewhere on Braddock’s Road during the Seven Years War (F&I). He was from a New York Unit. And his name was William Williams.

My grandfather was in the PT Boat Squadrons in the USN stationed in the Philippines when WWII broke out. I personally served 25 years in the USN including a long stretch assigned the the Navy Expeditionary Combat Command and Riverine Squadron One.

Both Grandfathers drafted in WW II. One spent a few years as a radio operator in the Panama Canal. the other went ashore a couple days after D-Day and was in Czechoslovakia when it ended. Saw lots of action, couple Purple Hearts. Was on his way to Japan when that ended. Was discharged. Got bored and poor on the farm and joined back up and did 30. Was in Korea and Vietnam. My Mom was born in Japan. He never told me much about it, even though I am a huge history buff. We didn't really like each other much for some reason. Mostly because I was my Dads son. He died of several different cancers that came from his time on Bikini Atoll. The Germans, Japs, Koreans and Vietnamese couldn't kill him, but the Agent Orange and nuclear tests eventually did.
I have 24 years in the Air Force and full time Air National Guard as of Saturday. Have a few more years in me I think. Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kuwait, Saudi, Qatar, Turkey.....

Found it interesting that my grand dad (mom’s dad) was declined for military service during the Great War as he had survived having small pox. I think he survived the 1914 epidemic down here. Suppose they thought he was still possibly a carrier???

My loyalist ancestor went after one of my rebel ancestors with a saber during a parley at the siege of Fort Granby during the first US civil war in the 1770s. He called him a “damned rebel” and tried to cut off his head. It apparently caused something of a stir with the officers. Their father and grandfather had been one of the three hundred loyalists murdered in South Carolina by rebels early on and was mentioned in a petition to the Crown.

Dad. 6th Army, 20th infantry, M company, Alamo Scout. The 6th holds the record for continuous days in combat due to its actions in the Pacific. Three Battle Stars:

New Guinea
Leyte
Luzon

He's on the left.