Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire What did your Grandpa do while in the military?

Just thinking about how fast times and technology are changing.

Today our kids or grandkids might quite likely serve their nation at a computer console or servicing high tech equipment.

As opposed to: My Grand Dad was born in 1902 in Perry Oklahoma. He entered the Army just after WWI and served as a farrier.

Grandpa carried a rifle in Korea. USMC

I plan on carrying a scary black rifle guarding big, intimidating planes on bases around the world.

cook.

Franco-Prussian War, kicked the [bleep] out of the Frogs.

My Grandpa was born in 1893 and fought in WWI. He passed away in 1974 when I was in high school. I often think about all the things he saw change in his lifetime.....horse and buggy to putting a man on the moon.

Tank driver in the 10th Armored Division - WW II

My Grandfather hauled azz outta the old country so he wouldn't get conscripted into the Russian army , that was in 1912. I have a copy of his draft registration from WWII , when he registered for the "Old Man's Draft" (at the age of 51) , he didn't get called up.

My Great Grandfather was a soldier in the Russo-Turkish war , 1877-1878


Mike

my maternal grandfather was a WWI artilleryman. Had respiratory issues til he died, from being gassed. Carried shrapnel scars on his neck and shoulders.

My paternal grandfather was never in the military, but he and my Gr. grandfather sold horses and mules to the army.
My paternal grandmothers father scouted for and broke horses for the army.

Papaw served in the Army Infantry in Korea and then made a career of it after the war. The Army made him retire after 30 yrs and he took a civil service job...now he's 84 and collecting the benefits he so greatly deserves.

My paternal grandfather was a quartermaster in the 1st ID. He served in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. He stood guard at the Zwodau concentration camp in the Czech Republic, where he met a girl that later became my grandmother.

My maternal grandfather was a cook.

Both granddads fought in WWI.

My dad and mom were in the Navy in WWII, my dad on Yorktown II, and my mom was a Navy nurse. Both parents were lieutenants.

I was 4F; nobody wanted me.

Grandpa Hank killed any German that fired upon his horse-drawn ambulance while he was gathering dead and wounded doughboys. He and his buddy, Lloyd, stole a pair of Lewis machineguns from the British Expeditionary Force and enforced the peace.

Good man and my hero.

Steve

My Grandpa was a BOMBER PILOT in WWII. B24's if I remember correctly.

3 packs a day of camels, and a propensity for getting drunk and passing out in snowbanks had their effect as well, I suppose.

he was a tough old man to live 75 years...

Fought in the trenches of Europe.

One, an army mechanic and driver first serving in the pacific where he was shot on two occasions (apparently those weren't particularly safe duties in the pacific). Then, in what believe was an unusual occurrence, was transfered to the european theater under Patton, the southern thrust into germany at wars end, including a visit (i.e. sanctioned looting) of Berchtesgaden though long after advance troops had taken it/damaged it. He never forgave the japanese.

The other, as I understand it he was "unwanted" in the Great War, being off the boat german, and was too old by WWII. Interestingly though, I've the family letters from the old country during the war, including receipts for food rations sent to them and details of the forceful removal of family/germans AFTER the war, evicted from the sudetanland by the czechs - a little told story in history.

My Grandpa tried like hell to enlist in 1941 but being of Canadian birth, being a [needed] employee electrician of Alcoa and his enlarged heart no service would accept him; until 1944.

He was summoned out of a foxhole at Ft. Benning, put on a train to and from Canada and he swore his allegiance to the USA on the soil of his beloved, adopted country. He wanted to fight the Germans something fierce but the war ended and he spent the next 36 years working 6+ days a week for Alcoa. He had a total of sick days that a man could count on one hand with fingers left-over...

The other was a navigator in a bomber in the Pacific Theater. Don't know as much about him. He didn't make it home.

Grandpa served in the Army in WWI, and also took part in our little known incursion into Siberia via Vladivastok. Said that was an odd bit of duty.

Great Grandfather rode around eastern KS chasing confederate guerrillas, dad was a combat medic in Europe from July,44 to Feb, 45 when he was shot by friendly fire.. a Sargent saved the douche that shot him.
Me, the military felt I would be a better tax payer than a soldier, not sure about that. Think I am still paying for pallets of ammo dumped in the sea in 75.