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My father’s older brother was killed in the Philippines during the Battle of Leyte. Homer died on 14 Dec 1944. He had turned 20 just seven weeks earlier. Rumor says that his unit ran out of ammo.

My father enlisted in summer 1946 after he graduated high school; he was stationed near Tokyo, serving in the Army Air Force. Fortunately, Japan had surrendered before Dad entered the service. Dad returned safely home after three years. He is the guy wearing the red shirt in my photo.

Mom’s uncle was stationed at Pearl Harbor. He survived. He always told how the night before the attack, the Japanese bar owners were giving away all the beer you could drink - they knew the attack was coming and they wanted the soldiers to be hung over.

My dad fought in Korea also. Army, 1st Lieutenant. He died in 1998 of lung cancer. He would have turned 94 this year.

Sad for my group is that the Vietnam veterans are dying at a much faster rate than the WW2 & Korean veterans and the VA/military does not know why.

My Dad turns 90 this next month. He is a combat wounded Korean War Veteran.
He probably hasn’t spoken five paragraphs about his experiences. I am so lucky to still have him.
Mark

I turned 21 in my fifth week of basic training in 1967 (Air Force) I was one of the oldest guys I worked with the whole time I was in. I remember that I was older than the co-pilot on my Blind Bat crew in Thailand.
I am 76 and probably in the older Viet Nam Vet group.
I still know a few of the WWII vets still living.

Vietnam era vet but saw it from Hickam. Enjoyed the Iran\Iraq war from Bahrain long before Desert Shield, and then Desert Storm. Was in Africa and SW Asia in 88, 89. 90,91, and 92 but got tired of it and retired in 93. Never shot at but drew hazardous duty pay many times. I'd thought the USAF was much calmer, until it wasn't. A tiny cog in a big machine.

Yes thank you for that I'm glad you mentioned this there was much more action during the calm time than most people realized. Much of this was let's just say off the books too

Your favorite part of AA week (that your dad took you to during his last years) was blowing corp legs under the bleachers on mahogany row parade grounds.

Here's a clue for you to track me down you uniform burning fgg0+ mother fuquer ... I was NCO of the Year and Jumpin' Jim Gavin (think Robert Redford) pinned my MSM on me on the podium during AA Week, before the parade (name the parade grounds fgg0t) ... and here's another clue ... James J Lindsey was Division CG.

The training flick your referencing would be Ryan O'Neil, not Robert Redford, he was Maj Julian Cook.

My dad was orphaned at 11 in Conroe Texas and joined the Navy in 1944. He was barely 17 years old. He tended an engine on a LSM in the Pacific.

This is right here is true the kind of stuff that makes you pause and think and look at our youth we have today....

Had a great uncle in the 82nd he fought in Italy and jumped into Market Garden and 3 or 4 others that were in the Marine Corp. I'm pretty sure one of the Marine Corp vets is still alive, but it's been well over 30 years since I've seen him.

The generation of WW2 vets were volunteering to go fight. A personal friend said he and his buddies wanted to go kick some ass and get it over with.

Well done and you are 110% correct. Cudos ... nod to you.

Redford was Bridge Too Far ... O'Neal was Longest Day.

Wait, I may have that backwards. Vice versa I think. I dunno. Can't remember. Drinking and watching Guifeld.

Wait, were they both in Bridge Too Far?

Hold on.

Robert Redford ... Ryan O'Neal ...

Was it Robert Ryan? Longest Day? Jumpin' Jim Gavin?

I can't remember. My Mom got his autograph that day ... it's in the 82nd Album. I probably have a picture somewhere. I'll find it.

Robert Ryan ... strange how my incredibly ultra superior mind works. It's always been this way. Well, since I was maybe 8 months old at least, back in the 50s, watching my Dad come to bat behind the backstop while my Mom passed me around to the other wives and they all had me waving at my Dad when he came to bat ... he waved back .... I remember things. Lately they're just not as picturesque as they used to be. The memories.

Thanks for correcting me brother.

They used to wonder at me calling fire missions in my head ... they still talk about it. It wasn't that I did the calculations in my head ... it was that I could see the fire tables in my head. We always won our ARTEPS.

ANYWAYS ... Robert Ryan.

General Gavin was bald when he pinned my MSM on me ... and THE most distinguished human being I have ever been face-to-face with in my entire life. He was also on my bird with me when I made my VIP jump along with CSM Berry and Barajas, LTC Mad Jack Hamilton, Strom Thurmond (who had come up when he heard because he was a friend of the family and also served in the 2/325) and a couple of others ... Gavin was like a God though. I'll never forget him. He was ten feet tall. He rode alongside Lindsey in a Wiley jeep ... he must have been 6'6" or taller because I'm 6'3" and Lindsey had to be at least 6'2" or so .... I dunno. 20something kid seeing him .... looking into his eyes when he pinned that MSM on me .... I dunno. I dunno how to explain it. I have not been an impressionable man. My Dad impressed me ... my wife ... a friend or two plus some guys I served with .... but James Gavin. I always felt like I was in the presence of an Arch Angel at the time. I took it very seriously.

Generational thing I guess ... things have changed. Hard to explain.

My Dad was stationed in Germany during the Korean conflict, at one point in time he was driving a jeep for Gen. Gavin. I myself never saw him, but shook hands with G.S. Meloy when I ETSed out of Division. Roscoe Robinson was the CG when I first got there.

Gen Roscoe was a great guy ... first African American CG of Divison and I think he ended up at Corp too. I think he came right after Lindsey if I remember correctly which happened right after I was reassigned to Vicenza with the Nickle Oh Nasty under Nuke'm Needham. Those days are foggy. I'll be partying with some guys at the reunion this weekend who will help me to remember and then doing the CSM golf tourney in Myrtle Beach the week of the 3rd ... Roscoe's CSM will be there, he always is. He's a libtard [bleep] but Roscoe was as conservative as they come. Come to think of it ... wait, I think Roscoe was actually CG when I arrived in 78. I get my tours confused. Roscoe ... then I left for Vicenza after Gallant Eagle under Lindsey. Returned under Foss. Went back to Vicenza under Kellogg and came back under Vines. Went back under Scaporretti and retired under Huggins.

The wife knows for sure ... but I'm pretty sure that's right.