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.

Doughboy in WWI. Don't know what he did.

My great-grandfather fought in the trenches in WWI. My mother has a letter on the wall from the King of England expressing gratitude for his service and defense of the free world. My grandfather was a radioman and flew the hump in WWII.

Neither of my grandfathers served in WWII. One was too old and he built barracks for the military in the south and then supervised a logging crew made up of German POW's. My other grandfather wasn't physically able to be in the military and he built destroyers at the shipyard in Orange, TX during the war.

My great grandfather and his 2 brothers joined the army in WWI and the first time they left the county was when they got on a train headed to boot camp. He was gassed while serving in France.

My paternal grandfather was a combat medic in WWII, not even sure what outfit he served with. He never said a word about his service to anyone that I know of, although his dress uniform is still in a closet at my folks house. I really should check it out again and see if I can learn a bit more about his service. My maternal grandfather only had one arm after having the other ripped off in a corn shucker, he wasn't fit for service.

My grandpa is WWII vet and was a medic. He turned 90 on Saturday, in the hospital with pneumonia. He is on the mend...tough sucker and one of my hero's.

They were both too young for WWI, and not high on the draft list for WWII (farmers)

Pilot, Flying Tigers.

My father was Pacific sailor in WWII, serving on the minesweeper USS Swallow (AM-65) then later on the repair ship USS Oglala (ARG-1). He ended the war as a petty officer 2nd class. Neither of my grandfathers served in the military. Both of my father's grandfathers were infantrymen in the Confederate army, one a sergeant and the other a corporal.

Here's what my GGG Grandfather did in the Civil War. He was in his sixties and died of disease in 1964, buried the Alton National Cemetary...

http://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-regiments-detail.htm?regiment_id=UIA0037RI

4 of his sons were in this unit, all somehow survived. My direct ancestor was a musician in the unit.

http://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-regiments-detail.htm?regiment_id=UIA0008RI

My great-grandfather was a message courier for the Confederate Army, serving mostly in Tennessee. He and all four of his brothers served, and all survived.

Both Grandpas were farmers, married with children during WW-I, and told to keep farming to supply the war effort.

Dad was a B-17 pilot in WW-II, based in England. He was involved in the fire-bomb raids on Dresden. For the rest of his life he regretted the higher-ups decision to carry out those raids that late in the war, and that he had to participate. If anyone knows not of what I speak, google the fire-bombing of Dresden.

I served 7 years in the Marine Corps in the '70s and never got shot at.

God Bless all veterans for their service, especially the war veterans.

How far can we go back? My great great great grandfather fought at the battle of San Jacinto with Sam Houston and signed the TX Decleration of Independance and was only 1 of about 10 men to do both.

+1 It's amazing that with all the carnage of the Civil Wars, at least two sets of siblings survived intact!

My Father fought for the Free French, my Grandfather ironically enough was a guard at the POW camp in the town that I now reside in.

After blowing out his ear drum my dad was knocked out of paratrooper training he ended up a foot solder and being captured in the Battle of the Bugle. After months of abuse he escaped when the allies bombed the area he was held in. He was never the same and passed away in 1962 at age 45.

I was named for his brother Ted who was killed in action in France, he had been in war since the beginning. I keep his metals in my den.

Both grandpas were too young for WWI, but worked in industry for the WWII. One was in petroleum development with Standard (aviation fuels), the other was in management at the largest artillery shell plant in Toledo.
My great uncle (mother's side) fought in WWI and suffered from multiple gassing events and carried a lot of shrapnel. He would never talk about it and was a recluse for the rest of his life after returning from Europe.

Grampa was was army infantry, in Europe WWII

Hit the beach in the 1st wave at Normandy. He was also a engineer who was tasked with blowing bridges & railroads in Germany.
By the way, his parents were German Immigrants who still spoke German. He didn't seem to have a any problems with taking out Hitler's Gerrmans....

He was in the Italian Army in WWI and supposedly spent quite some time in a concentration camp.

The info you posted up regarding what your father was involved with in WWII provided for quite the history lesson. I had not known of the fire-bombing of Dresden. That was quite the carnage.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombing_of_Dresden_in_World_War_II

I can certainly understand his perspective on the situation. A tough mental burden for one to have and carry for the rest of his life.

My maternal grandfather was Canadian and was in France.
My paternal Grandfather was a Polish immigrant who enlisted in Hallers Army and fought in France, eventually returning to the States.

Somewhere around Samoa in WW1 , Family are tryinhg to figure out his service medals as they relate to both maritime and army , somehow

Your grandpa or great-grandpa? Man, I'm old, but you must be ancient. Seriously, my great-grandfather was in the Prussian army as well and fought at the battle of Sedan. I have a cousin whose other greatgrandfather was on the French side.

One of my grandfathers was in the Army during the Spanish-American War. The other was in both WW I and II.

Paul

My maternal pop was a tank crew member, wwII, carried a .45 smg since they fit in tanks easier. Was shot through tank armor in arm. No docs in Africa so patched up it got and on they went. He wouldn't ever talk about wwII. My grandmother made him toss a Nazi rifle he brought back down the outhouse. No running water in their house back then.

Paternal grandfather was an army officer. He's still kicking at age 92. Gave me a couple sporterized 8 mm mausers and an American remington 1903 30/06 sporterized mauser action.

My maternal grandfather was USMC Sgt in Korea. Served in the infantry from 50-51.

My paternal grandfather operated a flamethrower in occupied Japan after WWII.

My maternal grandfather served in a mortar crew with the 86th ID during WWII.

My paternal grandfather was an Army MP guarding prisoners during the Korean War.

My great grandfathers were both farmers and not called up for service in WWI.

My great great grandfathers both served in the Confederate Army during the Civil War.

Well, it depends on which Grandpa you're talking about.

Mom's Dad was born in '02 and grew up on a farm in Brecksville, OH. He joined, and was in camp when the Armistice was signed. They sent him home shortly thereafter. It was in camp that he learned how to smoke cigarettes, and how to dye your blanket with coffee to hide the cigarette burns. He came home, went to Ohio State, played basketball for them for a brief time and was a frat brother of fellow engineering student, Curtis LeMay. They corresponded until LeMay died. Both married and had 1 daughter. Both were successful. LeMay in his trade and Gramps as a VP for Formica and American Cyanamid.

Now Dad's Dad was something else entirely. He was called up in '16 and served the entire war in the infantry. However, his head was too big to fit a gas mask. He spent the entire war being shuttled up to the front, they'd find he could not wear the mask, and they'd send him back to the rear, where he would try to make himself as useful as possible. He was born in Marburg, Germany in '98. His experience was quite different from Mom's Dad. Right after the war ended he married a cute chick from Biedenkopf and they emigrated to Cincinnati in 1923. He he started off as a groundskeeper for Formica co-founder Dan O'Connor. By 1926 he was a millionaire home builder.

I didn't know my Maternal Grandfather well, only met him once. He was Army infantry and earned a bronze star in the battle right before the Battle of the Bulge. Was captured at the Battle of the Bulge, escaped with two others and had to give themselves up instead of freeze to death. Spent six months in a POW Camp. Stayed in the Army and earned another Bronze Star in Korea.

Step-Grandfather (the one I knew) was trained as a ball turret gunner in B-17's and was pulled right after gunnery school in Kingman AZ and sent to flight school. He got his wings in early 44 and spent the rest of the war as an instructor.

My father's Dad was older and between WWI and II and was a bugler and barber in the Florida Guard. Spent time down on the border in Texas and I have a few pictures. By the time WWII started he was too old and worked for Graybar electric.

Belly gunner, shot down and took an unplanned "vacation" in italy.

One tough old SOB that guy was.

Other one was on a big boat...

My grand fathers after basic training, got on a train to Houstan for the trip to France. Unfortunately or fortunately while still at sea 11/11/18 occured and the ship was turned around.

Jim

G G grandfather was wounded at a place called:
Gettysburg. Shot through the leg, he recovered and the gubment gave him $4 for his trouble.

Mother's father was a doughboy and went over the top.
The only story he told me:
He picked up an artillery model Luger. Complete with stock/holster.
And got it all the way to the troop ship home, before an officer took it from him.

My father joined the Army for WWII. Was sent to the South Pacific, fought the Japanese in the Philippines and New Guinea. His Unit received the Presidential Unit Citation for their part in the Battle of Leyte Island.

I have a copy of the folded and aged citation, framed and hanging on my wall. It was written on an old typewriter with some of the letters mis-aligned, and has fold marks in the paper. Every time I think I'm having a tough day, I read it and realize I'm not having a tough day at all.

Man, I love hearing these stories guys! "Thank You" doesn't come close to paying respects for all those that served. My dad served in the Army during WWII under General Patton. Any where Patton went, Dad was there, and quite a few other places too. I know nothing about either of my Grandfather's military service. They were both dead before I was born, and it was never discussed. I am named after my Great Uncle who fought for the Union out of Pennsylvania during the Civil War. He was killed in action-shot off his horse by a sniper. During the course of tracing family history on my mother's side, we found out she had a distant cousin who flew with Baron Von Richthofen during WWI, was a confirmed ace with 7 kills, and was killed in action. It is very impressive to hear all your stories. This is what made us the people and country we are today.

My Grandad served during WWII and Korea.
At age 19 or 20 he was driving a LCVP during D-Day.
I cannot imagine the horrors he saw.
He never spoke about it. Ever.

He later changed branches to the Army retired as a Master Sergeant from the FL National Guard.
He's still the most amazing man I have ever met to this day.

My grandfather joined the 22nd Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division at St Lo, a few weeks(?) after D-Day. He claims to have arrived in Paris, spent the night, and left before the famous "liberation pictures were ever taken. I never heard him utter the word "Hurtgen" but my grandmother told me he was there. The 22nd suffered 80% battle casualties at Hurtgen alone, after which the Regimental Commander reported that "My command no longer exists." The only stories I ever heard my grandfather tell were the funny ones.

One cool thing is that Hemingway adopted that Regiment and my grandfather spent a bit of time with him during the war. A few years ago my dad showed me a cool note that Hemingway wrote to him (he was an infant at the time).

Was part of the Czech mobilization in 1938 to stand up against Germans.

Went back home after Britain and France gave Sudets to Hitler to secure peace for our time.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peace_for_our_time

Didn't help them worth a $hit to stab us in the back.

My grandfather joined the Marines in 1918 and did a little fighting in the Dominican Republic during the Banana Wars.

I have his journal from that time, a flag he carried, his dog tags and medals.

Both my grandfathers were too old for WWI. I had a great uncle in it, but have no info beyond that. My uncle was a medic in WWII and landed with the troops at Normandy. Later transferring to military intelligence, then the CIA.

Same with my dad, most of the stories I heard were from my mom. I do know he always made sure not to use up his last couple of rounds becasue there was no way he was going to be taken alive by the Japanese.

My grandfather and father would never talk about the horrors they saw.

My dad had some brownie snapshots of the aftermath of the Battle for the Aleutians.
Dead Japs in their bunks with rifles in their mouths and toes in the trigger gaurds.
Or halves of them after clutching gernades to their chests.

And the lines of dead after the Banzai charge..
GI's stuck to their knees in the tundra as willowwinds blasted them...

I wonder where those B & W's are...

My Grandfather served in WWII spent some time in Africa, fixing planes among other things.

My maternal grandfather (1874) was a farrier, US Army 1898. A country vet up till 1960. He worked with horses all his life. He passed in 1962.

My paternal grandfgather (1874) was an Army logistics officer in WWI. Last saw him in 1963 when I left for a tour of duty in Europe. He died in 1964.

My Gramps lied about his age and enlisted in the Marines, he saw action in WW-II, Korea, and Vietnam.

He retired in 1981 as a Sergeant Major after 40 of service, he has a pic of himself on some big ship when the Japanese Generals? came aboard and signed their surrender ending WW-II.

I believe today he has turned over in his grave to puke , standing at that old Gentlemans funeral in Dec. 2011 and seeing the 6 Marine Jets do a couple flyby's over the cemetery made me cry for a damn hour, I am very proud to have been kin to such a great American, see ya soon Gramps.

Gunner

My grandfather was a preacher at the time but lost his brother on the enterprise in the battle of santa cruz.

my father was drafted and sent to Korea.

Maternal grandfather was aboard the USS Rendova from 1948-1949(maybe 1950). He crossed the equator 3 different times, I believe. He had the dates tattooed on his arm.

Paternal grandfather was aboard a submarine during WWII. I am not certain which sub, as he passed away in 1978 and I was born in 1984.

granddad was drafted in WWII.....when the draft board found out he had 5 kids with another on the way they said he didnt have to go, granddad said if my country needs me im going so they put him in the Navy on a ship where they hoped his chance of surviving was good.....because of that pretty well all of my uncles spent atleast some time in the military....dad volunteered for Vietnam but was turned down due to flat feet....i almost went army but my knees started going to chit when i was 11 so decided it prolly wasnt the best idea even though they said they would take me and give me a pass on some of the physical stuff(forget what my ASVAB score was but it musta been through the roof)

My maternal grandfather served in WW-1. He had health issues the rest of his life from gas and died in his early 60's. I was too young to have ever gotten to know him. My paternal grandfather was not allowed to join because he was a farmer.

My dad graduated HS in 1942, was drafted and drove an ambulance all over Europe during WW-2 picking up wounded and transporing them to field hospitals.



And just because I have them a few more WW-2 pics.

As dad says, a good German tank.



Bodies from a mass grave in a concentration camp that civilians were forced to dig up and properly re-bury.




Dads ambulance during a rest break on the autobahn



April 17, 1946. Nearly a year after the war ended before dad got home.

very cool pics but i dont think technically thats a tank, think its an armored artillery piece as it doesnt look like it has a turret.....technicality i know....

My paternal grandfather was discharged from the Army circa 1920. He did not serve overseas, but did work training and experimenting with tanks. His discharge papers (which we have) bear the signature of an relatively unknown Lieutenant. Some fellow who called himself D.D. Eisenhower.

My great grandpa fought in the Civil War and my gramps in The Spanish American War.He was too old to fight in WW 1.

Grandfather was a gunner on an LST, great grandfather was infantry in ww1 and lost most of a lung to mustard gas.

Paternal grandfather was an infantry grunt in France in WW I. He suffered leg wounds from a "potato masher" grenade (whatever that was). That, along with the subsequent treatment in a field hospital, caused him to have circulatory problems in his legs for the rest of his life. He still bossed construction crews until he finally retired at the age of 71. When the war was over, he went AWOL for six weeks and toured France, Italy and Germany because he figured that he would never get back to Europe.

My mother's father was an Army civil engineer in the first World War. He never went overseas. He spent his time in the service building infrastructure here in the states for the Army and National Guard.

Same story for my Dad's Dad. Born in 1900, and was on his way to Europe via ship when they were turned back to the U.S.A.

My Mom's Dad didn't serve that I know of.

My wife's Grandpa was a Marine in the Pacific theater during WWII and served on a 37mm cannon. He talked to my wife and me briefly about his time a couple years before he died in 2007. He saw action on Tarawa and several other islands and told me a story of one beach landing where he swung over the side of the boat, laden with gear into chest deep water. Little did he know that he was stepping out into a bomb or mortar crater and by the time his feet hit the bottom his head was well under the surface and if it wasn't for quick action on the part of his Sargent, he would have finished his tour in the bottom of that saltwater filled crater.

Dad's dad was a bombadier on a B-17 over Europre. He flew 23 missions before the war ended. Many of those later flights were flown lacking one man due to battle losses.

Marine Sergeants are usually pretty good about having their [bleep] together.

My paternal grandfather was in the Italian Army prior to WW I.When my father passed away two years ago,we found in his papers, qualifying targets and letters designating my grandfather as a sniper. Took some time to decipher the language.As far as I know, my maternal grandfather was never in the service.
Mudhen.The potatoe masher grenade was a german grenade used in WWII. It looked like potatoe masher.It had a cylindical handle and then a bigger cylindriacl portion that housed the explosvies

My paternal Grandfather was in Africa repairing planes in WWII as well. He's gone now and didn't talk about it much. I wish I had asked more when I was younger and he was still around...

One of my great uncles was a paratrooper. He died a few years ago. He didn't talk about it at all. He saw a lot of action...and looked like it...and drank like it. When I was young I was way to scared of him to ask about it.

My wife's maternal Grandfather's was a Marine, her paternal Grandfather was aboard a sub for a large part of the war. Both of them are still alive. I'm glad my kids carry their blood.

My grandfather was a butcher/meat cutter in Texas. Glamorous. Grandma said the conditions and hours were horrible. He never got shot at or shelled though.

My one Grandfather was in the Navy in WWII from '43-'45 and my other was in the Air Force stationed at Eilson in Fairbanks during the Korean war. He says they were there to protect Alaska because the US Govt believed either China or the USSR might make a move on it like Japan tried in WWII.

All my grandparents died before I was born so details are sketchy. My maternal grandfather was raising a family during WWl on a homestead he carved out of the woods in northern Minnesota. My dad was born in 1903 and he said his father died when he a child so I'm not sure if he ever served.

Both of my parents were WWll veterans. My dad was a Merchant Marine and mom joined the WAVESs.

Must been Model 24 Stielhandgranate http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stielhandgranate

THAT wuz a PZKW MkV or Panther. rear view.

Corrected and worse-it is a Jagdpanther. The nastiest tank destroyer in existence in WWll. Panther chasis,solid superstructure,PAK 43/1 L71 88mm gun. same same as on King Tiger. BAD ju-ju for any tank going.

except it wasnt a tank since no turret, it was a tank destroyer aka armored artillery.....nasty piece of equipment that could take out any tank we had without breathing hard.....only reason we really beat them is we were willing to loose 8-12 Shermans per Tiger/Panther ect

Neither of my grandfathers served in the military, one was a farmer in 1917-18 raising tobacco and children, 9 in all. I don�t know much about the other except that he died when my father was 19.

My father was a surgeon in an evac hospital in Patton�s Third Army from November 1944 through the end of the war, staying in Europe at a military hospital in Frankfurt until his discharge in 1946.

Czech_Made, thanks for the link! I have always wondered about that, but never took the time to research it. He never said what he was doing when he was wounded, but I guess that there were a lot of ways to get tagged by shrapnel from a grenade.

I'd say you are correct after a closer look. I just assumed I was looking at the back of a turret. Hard for me to say with the other damage to it. Dad, not being on the front lines may not have known the difference either. He will be 90 in a couple of weeks and didn't talk much about the war up until about 10 years ago when my wife and brothers wife got him talking. Even if he knew the difference 60 years ago he has forgotten some details by now. Other things are clear and accurate to him.

My grand father on my dads side was a ski trooper in the Austrian army sometime in the early 1900s. Don't ask me how he ended up there, being born in the Ukraine.

Kinda wish I would have ask Gramps on why a Marine was on a Naval vessel when the Japanese came aboard to surrender, I learnt pretty early on not to ask many questions.

Gunner

He was British, had childhood polio so couldn't serve. But, he did serve in the London fire brigades during the firebombing. Mom grew up in all that. Both had stories that would curl your hair. Bomb shelters, fire storms, buildings collapsing, civilians getting strafed by German fighters, what the Londoners would do to the downed German pilots. Stories about what that much longterm stress does to the civilian population. War sure gets sanitized as time passes.

Paternal grandfather born in 1903, way too young for WWI, too old for WWII and was in a draft exempt occupation besides. Maternal grandfather drafted 1917, worked as a mechanic on Army vehicles at a repair depot in England. Never got near the front, thank God.

Paternal grandfather's brother, my great-uncle, served in the Merchant Marines WWI. He told of submarine attacks on a couple of convoys- so slow moving it took them almost a month to cross the Atlantic. Then, in 1942, he was drafted because he was divorced and fancy free- and 45 years old, deaf in one ear, and limped from an old shipboard injury. He actually turned 46 in boot camp! After squawking long and loud enough, the army admitted they made a big mistake in drafting him, and offered him a discharge if he got himself a job in the war industry, which he did. Thus began 3 years in the hell of a Bethlehem Steel mill. He made good money though, and used it to buy a small hotel/bar in Harrisburg, PA. His son joined the Merchant Marines in WWII and was on a cargo ship in the Murmansk Run, twice, and lived to tell about it. He laughed when telling how the Union hall emptied out when destinations ending in Murmansk were posted on the boards. He signed up for them because the pay was something like three times the normal rate- but not many sailors survived to collect it.

Some more WW-2 photos.

My dads Uncle, and grandmothers brother. He was career Army. He and my dad ran into each other in Europe once during the war.



My dad at a monument built in Czechosloika after the war in appreciation to my dads unit. Dad was part of the occupying forces and stayed in various places in Europe for nearly a year after the war ended.





This is the half-track dad rode in crossing the Rhine on a pontoon bridge. Dad said this was the scariest moment of the war for him. He was not on the front lines, but dad could never swim a stroke and the Germans were throwing everything they had at the bridge.





April 17, 2006. Sixty years after he got home at age 84.

Papa lied about his age to join the Marines in WWII. He ended up in the Pacific theater at Iwo Jima. He passed away in Sept. 2012 at 87 years old.
He is still the biggest influence in my life. I never heard him raise his voice, but when he talked, you listened.
My nephew started boot camp in Pendelton on the day we laid him in the ground. Very proud of both of them.

Part of Ukraine was in the Austro-Hungarian Empire!


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austria-Hungary

Ethnic Map:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Austria_Hungary_ethnic.svg

My grandpa volunteered and was sent to India. While there he drove an ambulance. I don�t know much more than that. I regret not asking more about his service while he was still here.

He died in the late nineties at 86. He went around the world in WWII, and when he got back he said that he hoped that he never left MS again. I think he ended up leaving the state one time to visit a sister in the hospital.

His brother landed on Normandy beach and survived.

My Gramps was land based Navy in the South Pacific. He landed on Luzon and liberated Manila.


ddj

Dad served in Korean War, but spent all his tour in Japan.
Grandpa served WWI (Doughboy pic posted earlier)
Great-Great Grandfather served in Civil War, Missouri Cavalry, 15th Regiment.
Great-Great-Great Grandfather also served in the Civil War, Seventy-fourth Missouri Militia.
Great-Great-Great-Great Grandfather served in the War of 1812, Battle of New Orleans, Corporal Nance's Company, Tennessee Militia
Great-Great-Great-Great-Great Grandfather served in Revolutionary War 1778-1881 (various enlistments ranging from 3 months to 6 months.)

as i said technicality, if it is a jagdpanther it more or less looks pretty close to a tank from the front and is basically running the same gun as the Tiger.....looks like a King Tiger in the second set of pics.....big SOB.....real glad German fuel quality sucked arse twords the end of the war or we woulda lost more of our guys.....the over engineered suspension systems helped as well as they were a beotch to work on and get back in the game if damaged......they were a Sherman killing machine though....if they would have had a simplified chassis like the Sherman or the Russian tanks we woulda been royally [bleep]....

Army officer in the great war.

One of them was a tail gunner on a B-52

The other collected bodies of dead soliders so they could be sent home for burrial. Not sure what they call this job but it dont sound fun.


Both WWII in Europe

My Maternal Grandfather (the man on the right) was drafted and served with the 88th Infantry Division, primarily in Italy during WWII. He told me many stories of being trained in Artillery stateside, then when he landed in Italy, he was handed a rifle and christened and Infantryman.

We were very close, and I couldn't begin to tell about all of the things I learned from him.

My Paternal Grandfather was also an Army Veteran of WWII. He was a Combat Engineer and operated heavy equipment making airfields for the Army Air Force. He has three Bronze Stars that he picked up somewhere between Kasserine Pass and Tunisia.


One more of the Indian enjoying a little downtime in Italy.

I was named after my grandfather-Tom Kennedy.
My grandfather was a heavy equipment operator PFC in the Aleutians in the Army. He was targeted by several different suicide charges. The Japs knew that he was the guy who unloaded the heavy artillery with a cat. He had a M1, M1 carbine and a 45 ACP rand in his cab and used each of them several times. He later was placed in charge of several Japanese POWs.
He was colorblind and was an expert marksman and worked the antiaircraft guns when he was transit.
He worked on unloading equipment and fighting to support Marines in Tarawa.
He later fought in several different battles in the Phillipines. He contracted malaria during the battle of Luzon.
He was an excellent shot and hunter but never killed a single thing after the war. However, his father, my great grandfather, worked to teach my dad and my uncle how to hunt.
He worked as a farmer and then as highway worker for the county in South Dakota. He died of cancer at the age of 70 and some people note that often you are measured as a man by the number of people who attend your funeral. Even though he was never a rich man he gave freely to every one around him his whole life and had a funeral procession that was three miles long.

He had a simple life but it was a good one.

Sincerely,
Thomas

Lots of WWII Navy vets in my family...

My paternal grandfather was a mechanic in the Navy. He worked on the big Fairbanks-Morris diesel engines, and spent much of WWII in the belly of a boat cruising around the Pacific. I don't know much else about his time in the service, but after the war he worked for Fairbanks-Morris. He died in 1979; I was in grade school.

My maternal grandfather was a Seabee. He was a lieutenant, and spent the war building runways on the various islands in the Pacific. He became a farmer after the war. He died in 1980.

My maternal grandmother was also a lieutenant in the Navy. She told me that she was a communications officer that censored letters and monitored phone calls home, so that no secret information was leaked. I'm not sure if she met my grandfather during the war, or afterward. After the war, she became a nurse. She's still alive, living in a VA nursing home. When my brother was commissioned in the Air Force, our grandmother pinned him at the ceremony. She sure lit up, seeing my brother in uniform.

My wife's maternal grandfather was in the Navy, and spent his time in the Pacific. I don't remember what he did, though. He beat lung cancer a while back, recently turned 90, and he's still kicking.

My paternal grandfather and a buddy ran away from home as teenagers and enlisted for the Great War. They were discovered before completing boot camp and sent home, but I've got a couple pictures of them in their Doughboy outfits. He tended the boilers on Great Lakes freighters through WW2.

My maternal grandfather was a truck mechanic with the Army in the Pacific Theater. Sadly, he passed away before we ever got to talk about any of it.

Mine never would talk about it with me, or anyone else that asked him. I only know bits and pieces from what my Grandmother knows. He was in before Pearl Harbor and didn't come home until Japan surrendered he spent the whole war in the south pacific, where he fought at Guadalcanal. He left us in 2011. I still had so much to talk with him about.

Sounds just like the father of one of my high school friends. He went in The Corps in '38 and ended up making three hot beach landings, don't remember two of them but the third was Iwo Jima. He'd never said anything to family, but told me about it while I was home on leave once. Incredible and disturbing stuff.

I'am sure grateful he found his way to the U.S.

my grandpaw was in the navy he was on a ship that picked up the dead after the fights were over. he had lots of stories...

My grandpa was a solder in WW1, served in Verdonn, france, sailed over on the SS Leviathon.
Never talked about it, -- I would have loved to hear those stories

Served with the 61st Regiment, Co. I, Georgia Volunteer Infantry, CSA under Maj. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson and Lt. Gen. Jubal Early.
May 6, 1862. Wounded in right side, hip and back, resulting in paralysis, at Cold Harbor, Va. June 27, 1862. Captured at Fisher's Hill, Va. September 22, 1864. Paroled at Point Lookout, Md. and transferred to Aiken's Landing, Va. for exchange March 17, 1865.
Other than that, not too much..

He enlisted in the Alabama NG as a private and was promoted from a cpl to 2nd Lt. (Don't remember all the details). Served with Black Jack Pershing chasing Pancho Villa, served with George Patton (both were Lt's if I remember correctly), went to France/Germany in WWI and finally made Bird Colonel at some point in his life. Don't know what his rank after the war was. He graduated from medical school in 3 years back then. Lived his life as a GP (country doctor) in Lowndes County, Alabama. Died at aged 91 in 1969.

He was a man of impeachable ethics and strong resolve. I've had blacks from his era tell me that when he came to their house on a call he treated the women with respect and called them 'Ma'am', something unheard of in those days. He didn't take anything from anybody but didn't try to dish any out. He was more of a father to me than my dad (his son) was. Taught me shooting and gave me his 03 Springfield and Colt .45 ACP that he brought from the war. Sadly, both have been gone for many years due to my youthful ignorance.

Mechanic on the sub-tender USS Anthedon http://www.tendertale.com/tenders/124/124.html

My paternal grandfather was a private in the Canadian Machine Gun Corps in WWI. 2nd Battalion IIRC; forgot what company but I have all his records, but not in front of me at the moment. The only time he ever spoke about it according to my late father was in 1943 when my dad was about to graduate from high school. He spoke to my dad's sister about it a couple times back then also. His unit was on the wrong end of a few gas attacks, they saw the carnage of the trench war, sometimes they hauled ammo to the front lines for the machine guns and the carts returned to the rear loaded with bodies. He talked my dad into joining the navy in 1943 because he feared another war in Europe would wind up another trench war. He told my dad that if his son were killed in WWII he didn't want his son to die in the mud; that if you were a casualty it would be better to die at sea. After all the hell he went through in WWI I'm surprised that he never seemed to show any PTSD or other problems. He was with us until 1960; worked to age 65 and spent too few years enjoying his well earned retirement.

My grand father was student at Mexico's Military Academy at the start of the Mexican Revolution where his uncle, who was a colonel in the Mexican Army, went and grabbed his butt and took him to war. Rose to the rank of Major after 11 years when he finally said "ENOUGH", and boogied to So. Texas and went to work on the King Ranch for the next 59 years. By the way, he came here legally, but that's another story.
George

Grandpa lied about his age to join the Army after his older brother had been drafted.
I'm not real good with the dates, but I know a lot of the stories. I was THE person he told these stories too, and to say I feel "fortunate" is an understatement.
Grandpa served in the 45th Infantry Division as a B.A.R gunner. The 45th Division was known as the "Thunderbirds" and was comprised of a lot of native Americans. Their insignia fittingly looked like this...



But, before the rise of the Nazi party, this was their insignia...



This 17 year old kid pushed his way across France, into Germany, capturing Nuremburg, Munich, and eventually liberating Dachau concentration camp.

The atrocities witnessed by these young men were unimaginable.

Sidenote: Not long ago I watched a movie entitled "Shutter Island". Leonardo Dicaprio plays a WWII vet that's having troubles dealing with the attrocities he witnessed at Dachau. And also, dealing with the mass slaughter of the remaining Nazis and German soldiers.
"Huh?" I thought. Never heard Grandpa tell that story. So, I did a little research.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dachau_massacre

He did tell me other stories about Dachau though.
He said that anything that could hold a body (drawers, under mattresses), was full of bodies.
He's told me this same story several times, which leads me to believe that it might have really affected him.
Anyone going in or out of the camp had to be dusted with bug killer (DDT?)...
There were some "displaced persons", that got it in their mind that it was powdered milk. They took some, mixed it with water and it killed them. He said the bubbles coming out of their mouth was a foot high.

Apparently, they'd also "liberated" a local brewery near Dachau, and he said that
"you could walk across the nearby river without getting your feet wet". All the G.I.'s had tied their "liberated" beer barrels together in the river to cool them down.

A lot of stories....

I asked him once if he ever had any desire to go back and see any of that country. He said, "Well....I'd like to see that Munich stadium again....where that G-d-Damned sniper tried to shoot me in the azz!!"
Apparently, he'd been on patrol all night, with another unit that'd lost their BAR gunner, the night before they were to take Munich. When the patrol returned, all they had to eat was some chicken that was laying there all night. They all got a case of the [bleep]! And they were about to invade a city!! Can you imagine the misery??!!
Anyway, he said he was running from crater to crater, fighting and crapping. He was propped up against a column of the stadium "relieving himself", and every time he'd reach out for some "paper"...he'd get shot at.

Rolling into Nuremberg, the krauts had blown up every train coming and going...
Several of the box cars were full of new weapons. They approached from behind a tank, as they were getting fired upon. He reached down and grabbed a brand new never fired rifle. It cost him $8.00 to mail it home, but it got mailed. I used to play with it as a kid. It was well before I knew anything about firearms, but he always said it was Hungarian. It did have a fold out bayonet on it.

He had a lot of "spoils" of war, (several Lugers), but they had a hard time finding a "ride" back to the states after the war, and they were all traded off for stupid stuff like booze and smokes!
They eventually made it home via a captured German luxury liner!

Imagine...going from a 16 year old kid living in the Ozarks without electricity, or running water a couple years prior...to all that.

My Grandpa was without a doubt, my biggest hero when I was a kid.

Grandpa (father's father) was a fireman in Jersey City NJ. He was involved in the Black Tom explosion in 1916 (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Tom_explosion )

I was named for my Uncle Paul
A very young man from the Anthracite coal mines of PA.
Whose landing craft took a direct artillery hit off the beach of Anzio.
He still rests in the Rome,American cemetery.

WWI & WWII; 36 years active naval service and a pair of Navy Crosses along the way. Tough as nails and never took any crap off anybody.

Great-Great Grandpa served in the 13th Missouri Cavalry. My dad remembered that as an old man in his 80's Grandpa had a wound on his wrist from 1864 that would occasionally swell up and then break open and drain. He sat on the front porch and would pick at it with his pocketknife, as Grandma chided him to leave it alone.

When asked how it happened, the answer was simply, "I caught a rebel ball."

Maternal grandfather joined Army at age 17, lied about his age and hitchhiked 200 miles to join only to find out he didn't weigh enough. He was told to go eat two pounds of bananas and come back. Bananas were 5 cents a pound so he ended up with ten cents worth out of the thirty cent he had left home with. He was drill sarge for a few years before WWII, then a staff sarge, in one of the first few waves that hit Normandy beach. Said he had the honor to shake hands with Patton. Still living today at 94, although his time is about at it's end.

Paternal grandfather was a farmer and didn't get to join due to a rare skin cancer that eventually took his life in the early 50's.

My grandfather served 34 years in the army. Retired as a first sgt. Multiple tours in Europe w/many bulge stories. Railsplitters division maybe? Don't remember the unit # though. Two stints in Korea and then was the drill instructor for Alvin York's grandson

My Grandfather was on Iwo Jima with the Seabees during WWII. As a child was totally fascinated and horrified on how cruel a human being can be..... many thanks to our forefathers ....Almost glad they are not here to see what this country is becoming. It is a slap in the face.

My grandpa enlisted in the US Navy in his early 30's and was on an ammunition supply ship in the South Pacific. Sadly he did not talk about it much or maybe I did not ask him the right questions. I do remember him talking about some of the things they used to do to a "newbie" the first time they crossed the equator.

Great, great grandpa served in the CSA # 2016 Company F, 11 Virginia Infantry. He was wounded at Gettysburg July 3, 1863 and wounded again at Richmond, May 16 1864. I have been impressed with the records that were kept in those days and have a few of the muster rolls and receipts of items that he was issued.

Mine was an ANZAC troop and got gassed at Gallipoli.

One Granddad was in the Army in WW 1, but was stationed stateside training troops... his older sons fought in WW2, with 3 being killed in combat.. his younger sons fought in Korea, and all survived...

the other granddad was too young for WW 1, and considered too old to enlist for WW2.. plus had 5 young daughters at home.. which helped in him being turned down..

but their brothers saw combat in WW 1...

descended from guys who saw action in the Spanish American War.. both great grandpas..

and back before that, ancestors who fought in the Civil War..
for Virginia, wearing Gray...

and a batch of ancestors who fought against King George in the Revolution, once again from Virginia....

one interesting character, that I am a direct descendent of was one Francis Meadows...whose wife was Francine... he saw a lot of action in the Revolutionary War.. and afterwards, migrated into what is now Monroe County WVa... at that time, that was way out in the frontier...

he and his wife were called Frank and Frankie.. and they ended up having 16 kids before they finally went to a preacher and got married.. guess there wasn't many around..

after getting married, they had 3 more kids.. he died around 1836, at 90 years old... Frankie ( his wife ) lived to 101, and died in 1851 or 52...


my grandmother's, grandfather fought in the Civil War during the last year of it, at 14 yrs old, in the Confederate Army...

he came home and got married, and had 10 kids with his first wife, when she died at child birth of the last kid...
her cousin, came to help take care of the kids...when she was old enough, GreatGReatGreat Grandpa Lilly married the cousin of his first wife, and they had another 9 children...

so he also had 19 kids, by two women...

he passed away at 85 yrs old in Beckley WVa, where he was born... and raised his family at...

have a book written by an Aussie that was a sniper on Gallipoli, Aussielad sent it to me....unreal what they went through fighting the Turks...

Both Grandfathers were too young for WW1, and too old for WWII. My father got called up but didn't go to Korea, and I've been in since 1988, and figure on 7 more years.

My FIL crewed B-25's in the 57th BW, 321st BG, 447th Squadron in 1944-45. Flew out of Corsica and was shot down over northern Itlay in Feb of 45 and spent the rest of the war as a POW. Passed away in 2003.

I had one uncle that served in WWII, but never saw combat, and one that served in Korea and saw plenty.

My Grandpa was too young and then too old for WWI and WWII but my father-in-law DID NOT have to shovel schitt in Louisiana! He was with this guy....and was the Sargent that built the Squash court for him in upper Austria.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlzIPoRbF_A

Similar story. My grandfather was born in 1896 and fought in France - WWI. He was a gunsmith who repaired machine guns. He lived into his mid 90s so I was lucky enough to have him around until I was in my early 30s. I miss him. He liked Jack Black - straight. Beer was for wimps in his mind. I still think of him often.

My grandad on my fathers side was in the US Army marching towards the front to fight the Ottoman Empire when WW I ended. He told us about knee deep mud and rats and sewage everywhere. They shipped back home and the troopship ran aground in NY harbor, we've got an old photo of the ship painted in dazzle camouflage around here somewhere.

My grandfather served Great Britain in World War II. I think he was in the infantry, not sure because he would never talk about it.

None of my grandpa's was in the military so I have no idea.

Drove a stagecoach!!!!

None of my blood grandfathers served in WWI or WWII. I have a step grandfather, Dick Mapes who was born in the Oklahoma Territories in 1904. He joined the Navy in 1920 and served as a fireman on the USS Arkansas. A Fireman at the time shoveled coal into a boiler 12 hours a day. He was a light heavy weight boxer for the Arkansas for 18 months while he was on board.

He Joined the Navy for a second time in 1943 and served in the Atlantic chasing submarines in a Corvette, Uss Ashville (patrol frigate) and then was transfered to the Pacific side and took the USS Missoula into Iwo Jima with a boat load of Marines. He was a fireman again but this time he kept the boilers lit with oil. He was on the Missoula when the visible flag was raised on Suribachi. As soon as the ships saw the flag he said every ship sounded it's horn. The first flag, a small one went to Iwo on the Missoula with his marines.

After a week they took wounded Marines back to another island and moved frieght back to Iwo again. They were on their way to the next battle closer to Japan when he got promoted to Chief Petty officer and they put him on a boat back to the US. Dick said they stopped in Hawaii long enough to pick up some "yard birds" (shore duty Navy) and on the way to California they heard that the war had ended. He landed at San DEigo and they sent him home instead of sending him to his next duty station.

He spent the next 20 years as an LEO and retired in 1965 from that and was a sheep inspector for 10 more years for the federal government.

He passed in 2000 at the age of 96. kwg

One grandfather was in communications in WWI, too old for WWII but ran the local air raid warning patrol.

Other grandfather tried to enlist but when they found out about his occupation they left him stateside to continue to build submarine dry docks up north. He lost a brother in the Pacific who was a fighter pilot for Canada since he was too young to fly for the US.

He served in Korea and I found out at his funeral that he was an Honor Guard for Eisenhower.

That is about all I know, he never talked about it and my Dad said not to ask so I never did. I asked my Dad what he did after he passed away and my Dad didn't know either. His records are sealed so we can't look it up.

He was in the Navy aboard the USS Wasp during WWII.

I posted earlier in this thread about my dad's service in WWII as a Merchant Marine but I forgot to add one other thing.

He was a volunteer in the Coast Guard/Navy ??? manning an anti-aircraft battery somewhere near NYC. He did the best he could do even though he was too old to join the armed services. I'm only mentioning this cause I'm proud of my dad. He wasn't recognized for his service, as a war veteran, until after he died.

Grandpa was a marine in ww2 and korea.

His first battle was landing on guadalcanal august 8 42' and takin henderson field, was in theatre all the way to iwo jima when he got "jap bit". Gramps stayed in and fought in Korea, fought at Chosin resivor. He left the corps in 59 as a Msgt. Toughest SOB that ever walked, didnt take [bleep] off anyone, never started anything with anyone, but finshed everything started with him. He didnt talk much about it to anyone but me, I was in 8th grade when he died, i felt like my world was gone, helluva great man, and had seen the worst the pacific theatre had to offer.

Grandpa on other side was a paratrooper 101st 506pir I company. Never talked bout his time in the bulge, and he was gone before i ever know about "band of brothers"

My Grandfather, Homer Robins, flew 37 missions in a bomber over occupied Europe as a radio operator. I never really grasped what a huge thing that was until he was gone.

My mother's father was a butcher for the USN and retired sometime in the early 50's, took a civil service job at Fort Leonard Wood for another 20 years and retired. Lived to a ripe old age of 87. Never mentioned a word about his service during the war, all of it spent in the Atlantic.

My Dad's father died at 42 on the operating after suffering a brain anorysm (sp?). USArmy in Europe, my father never talked of his service.

My Dad's mother served as a nurse at the VA hospital for close to 45 years.

My Grand Dad was born in 1896 or 1898. They were never quite sure years later as he had lied about his age to join the Army with his brother before WWI.

When the war broke out he joined again and went to France as a squad leader. Poached a deer on some French nobleman�s estate for the company cooks.

His only son served with the Navy in WWII. Both lived a long and good life.

My mother was his oldest child and my Dad worked in defense plants and farmed.
Mom�s sister was the youngest of the three kids and her husband also served in WWII.

Both of mine (both have passed) served in World War II.

One was a navigator on B-24's, 9th, then 15th AF's. Was a guest of the Germans for over a year. Learned of his daughter's (my mom's) birth whilst a POW.

The other was dog-face infantry - 91st Division. Staged in North Africa, landed on Sicily, moved to mainland Italy, and then walked to the French border.

They may have crossed paths, albeit unknowingly. During an offensive on the Italian mainland, the one grandpa's B-24 group "softened" some German defenses prior to my other grandpa's division assaulting those positions.

I didn't answer in my previous posts. WWl France,Infantry.

Mine fought in the Spanish American war launching slow 45-70 bullets from a Trapdoor Springfield at Cubans...

WWI infantry - fought in the trenches in France.

My mother told me that she knew a lot of refugees who perished in the Dresden firebombings. Dresden had been declared a free city - that is, no military installations or munition plants, so no defenses. I understand that it was a very beautiful city. Many refugees from Eastern Europe fleeing the commies wound up in Germany, many in Dresden and got killed for their effort. Not one of America's shining moments but understandable.

SeaBee, radio operator on Guam.

the one im named after enlisted in 1934, out in 1966. colonel, us army, retired. lost him in november. 2 weeks before his 99th bday. he did a bit of everything.

Lots of cool stories you guys shared. I had lots of family in the wars but I've always liked this picture of my great-papaw.

http://militarytimes.com/citations-medals-awards/recipient.php?recipientid=12503

Grand Dad was a mechanic in the Navy.

My grandfather volunteered for the Army Airforce in WWII. He went through pilot training for about 2/3rds of the training. According to him, the AA decided it had enough pilots to win the war and cut the bottom 90%. Off to gunner school he went. He served 35 missions over Europe in late 44, early 45 as a tail gunner in a B-17. 487th BG, 837th squadron. They were shot-up over Hamburg on their 17th mission and limped back to England smoking. The plane was totaled and they spent the remainder of their tour as a back-up crew borrowing planes.

After his tour the AA asked him to retrain for B-29s to be sent to the Pacific. He told them no. He was assigned to train new crews in Pensacola. He was the only trainer who wouldn't take off his parachute. The base commander finally asked him what his problem was and he told him he hated flying. As he put it, those planes aren't as safe as you think. The base commander made him the base PT instructor. He'd lead the base in PT in the morning and then drive his Jeep to the officer's club to drink the rest of the day (He was a SSGT but they overlooked him due to his combat experience.)

After the war, the AA asked him to finish his pilot training. As you might guess, he told them to [bleep] off.

He's the good looking guy in the backrow, far right.

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