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

I'm lucky that we have family members who have done a significant amount of family history research and compilation going back several hundred years. I am proud to say that I have a family of military history with family members (direct descendant type) having served in every military conflict in U.S. history. This means me (and my 4 brothers), my father (and 5 of his brothers), my grandfather, my great-grandfather and, my great-great-grandfather, and beyond. This actually applies to both my father's side of the family and my mother's side. We just haven't had my mother's side of the family traced all the way back to the 1700s yet.

Grandfather - Army, WW1
Uncle - 29 missions over Germany, pilot of a B-17, stayed in the Air Force after the war, flew jets
Uncle - unknown missions in the Pacific theatre, navigator of a B-24
Uncle - Navy corpsman, Korean War, was at the Chosin Reservoir, 2 Purple Hearts, one Bronze Star
Uncle - Navy, was on an aircraft carrier during the Cuban Missile Crisis
Aunt - Army nurse
2 cousins - USMC, Vietnam
1 cousin - Air Force pilot, Vietnam
2 cousins - Army
3 cousins - Air Force
1 cousin - Navy
Dad - 20 year career Air Force pilot, flew everything from SAC bombers to fighters, retired in 1970. Attached is a photo circa 1969.

I had a great, great, great, great grandfather who fought in Napolean’s army

Father served during the Korea "Police Action" - state side teaching officers how to blow bridges. As a PFC, to start.
Said he caught quite a bit of hell from the students - 'til a bird Col straightened things out.
Came out, after 2 years as a Second LT - 4 years in the guard - made Major. I never knew he attained that rank until he died.
9 uncles, 2 retired AF, 1 at the Battle of the Bulge, most served in some capacity.
A couple were sent home to farm and raise beef.
Grandfather was not allowed to enlist during WW1 - because of his area of origin. Seems Croatia ain't that far from Serbia.
The army folks figured he'd never survive "friendly" fire.

My dad was in the Navy in the Korean war era. Did some nuke testing in the South Pacific.

My great, great, great grandfather fought Napoleon's army in the Netherlands and his father fought the American revolutionaries in our Revolutionary war.
kwg

Grandfather was in German Army in WW I, came to America between the WWs

Dad's cousin was in Hitler's Army in WW II,

Father was in US Army Air corps WW II

Dad's older brother was US Army WW II

Dad's younger brother was US Army WW II

I was USAF during Vietnam era

My dad has a picture of his brother in the Air Force, but I don't know if he knows where it is. I'll have to ask him.

This is a picture of my great uncle (my mother's uncle on her mother's side) getting ready to be deployed to France during WWI.

Distant ancestors in the American Revolution. As is fairly common around here, ancestors on both sides of the Civil War. They may have taken shots at each other at Shiloh.

Great granddad was with the US Volunteer Infantry in the Phillipines during the Spanish American War. That may have been the last war to call up volunteer regiments, don't know.

A close uncle was with the 95th Infantry Division in WW2. Two more uncles were with the 7th Infantry Division in Korea. None of them would talk about it.

This is my Grandfather, Modist Parisian. 1st Canadian Mounted rifles 249th battalion.
Here he is about 1920. He was in the 1st war, he was only 17, then he volunteered again for the 2nd war at 40 years.
I have all his war records from both wars, he almost died from the Spanish flu, then taking shrapnel in the head in the 1st nearly got him again. A metal plate was put in his head, not sure how they missed it but he then served overseas again in the 2nd.

[Linked Image]

Virtually all men in Saskatchewan of age or close to age served in the Canadian military, I also had an Uncle who was a Japanese prisoner of war for 4yrs, he was a Canadian Royal rifle, they were only there for a week when they were captured and interned in Hong Kong.
I also had numerous other family who served in the WW2, Hitler referred to Canadians as a bunch of Cowboys and Indians, he wasn't wrong.

My dad served in western Europe in 44-45 with the 741st Tank Battalion. One of his brothers was there as well & he knew that brother was just a few miles away once, & tried to go see him. The MP's wouldn't let it happen.

That seemed to bother him as much as other stories he told. But they both made it home safe.

I belong to the Alamo Scout facebook group. I've talked to Lance Zedric years ago.

Dad served in the Aleutian Islands before jumping with the 17th Airborne into Germany. They met in San Francisco when he was recovering from being shot twice in 5 days Mom was in the Navy in Supply. This is their wedding picture. My older brother served in the Navy during the Viet Nam war. I believe he is the only Navy vet I know who doesn't claim to have been a SEAL ;^) I served in the US Army 1974-1977. The war was all but over so I am not a combat veteran.

He is my folks wedding picture:

[img]https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/galleries/15838658/mom-and-pop[/img]

I had a close friend and neighbor who experienced the same fears as he was dying of cancer. He was terrified, and there was no consoling him.
He had been a glider trooper who survived both D-Day and Holland. After landing in Holland, the first three guys who exited their glider were killed. He was number 4, but made it out. Nicest guy ever, with a terrific sense of humor. I'm sure God welcomed him home.

I made the mistake of contacting Lance Zedric without first talking it over with dad. Lance wanted to fly out and interview Pop for a another book he was writing.

Dad, being in his last year of life wasn’t interested in talking to Lance, or anyone for that matter about the war.

Old buzzard said he’d take the war to his grave...And, he did.

I remember helping dad clean out some stuff he had in several trunk cases at my grandmas house after she died.

Inside dad had a few of his Army uniforms and jackets with the AS 6th Army patch. They went to the Goodwill.

30 years later, I was like, well damn, those patches are considered one of the rarest military patches to have.

🦫

Yeah, I was saying the standard stuff... “Pop, it was war, Japs were trying to kill you too.”

I finally brought in a Priest to talk with him...All good after the Priest left.

🦫

Grandfather tried to get into WWI, but turned 18 on 11/12/18; a day late. Then he tried getting into WWII as a SeaBee because he had a heavy equipment company, but at 43, the War Dept figured Red Lake County needed him more as his graders were the only rigs keeping the roads clear in Northern MN during the winters the war was on. He was always kind of disappointed he couldn't serve.

Dad and his twin brother enlisted in the Air Force in 1953. 852 graduates in their class at Lackland. 800 went to Korea. Dad and his brother stayed stateside. Always wondered if the Sullivan Bros had something to do with that decision. Dad was an FE on a C-119 Flying Boxcar that flew supply missions to the DEW line north of the Arctic Circle. I still have his parka from those missions - my boy wore it two weeks ago during the Vortex clearing snow. Cool old AF logo on the sleeve. Warm as hell too. He stayed in the reserves for 19 years. Flew supply missions into Gitmo during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Retired DoD after 35 years.

Brother was 5th Group SF. Persian Gulf and Panama. Did some drug interdiction here in the states. Didn't talk about it much.

Both of their folded flags are on mom's mantle.

That poem would make Kipling green with envy.



P

Arthur A. Moeller. Hardwick Minnesota
US Army. 5th Regimental Combat Team
Arthur died June 11, 1953 from wounds sustained in the defense of Outpost Harry.
Outpost Harry was the last major battle of the Korean War. The armistice was a little
over a month away. Arthur was 21 years old.
My Father-In-Law, Arthur's brother, is a stoic full blood German Farmer who lost two of his three brothers
by the time he was 13 years old. He takes quiet to a new level.
My Father-In-Law and his remaining brother Elmer served in the Army and Navy respectively.
I need to get pictures, and finish research on the rest of the family. Thanks for this thread. We need to remember.

My dad flew fighter jets. VN
Grandfather Army WWII

Father in Law USMC two tours
His dad USMC WWII Korea

Father south Pacific WW2 battle of Manila and island hopping campaigns, Uncle Arthur's Boer war, 2 cousins Vietnam, one killed in1966, other GB made it home after several tours , another cousin Abrams driver Desert Shield,Storm