72 years ago today.

[trace]

My grandfather was also a WWII vet. The things these brave men and women did to serve their country is remarkable. This generation will be sorely missed when they are gone and the world will be a darker place for certain.


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app

 

[Warborg]

It is a shame this thread got so few replies, it seems this is fading into obscurity. That in itself seem tragic to me.

It's been very slow here in the lounge this weekend, plus I'd prefer this thread like this. The more attention it gets the more likely the ugly people will try to wreak it.

I remember walking on the USS Missouri while there and we were told the exact spot when the Japanese signed the surrender papers. Just a few years later in Church an old guy turned around and showed us a picture of the Japanese signing the papers and said, "See that guy back there? That's me". Later I whispered to my wife, "Wait till we stand. This guy will be over 6 feet". I explained to her how only officers over 6 feet were allowed to be around the Japanese during the surrender. And of course he was.

I haven't seen him in awhile. I hope he's still alive. (Our church is real big and I go to the other service so it's easy to miss seeing him).

 

[Aquanero]

I did know that only officers over 6ft were allowed there, interesting fact I wasn't aware of.

 

[ChrisP75]

I learned two things today about Pearl Harbor. I never knew that officers over 6' were the only ones allowed around the Japanese. Second, is that America fired the first shot hours before the bombing. They had reports of a sub being seen so they chased it down put a shot in the mass, the turret wouldn't go lower, then dropped depth charges on it as they ran over it. They messaged Washington but they message didn't get in the right hands until the attack started

Sent from my HTC One X using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

 

[BuffaloPolypteridae]

^ probably assumed it was of German make

That is an interesting little tidbit though, the 6 foot thing. Was it an intimidation tactic because the Japanese were generally shorter?
Sent from my DROID4 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

 

[Runitis]

My great grandfather is a wwII veteran and he is alive and is 100 years old. I'm not sure exactly what he title was or what he did other than he was stationed here in Winnipeg for the most part

Sent from my HTC One using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

 

[David R]

Both grandfathers were in WW2, one was a medic and captured in Crete, spent several years in a POW camp, the other in the Signals Division, first in North Africa then in Italy. Both were amazing men, but neither really talked much about the war. I only recently found out the story of when the one on Crete was captured [actually surrendered] recently.

After the main battle for Malame airfield (Germans invaded with paratroopers and took the airfield) there were a lot of guys hiding in the hills in caves with many wounded, some seriously. He was in a cave with a fairly big group of guys including several seriously wounded who didn't have much of a chance without proper medical attention, so they decided a group of them would surrender and carry the critically wounded down so they could get them to a hospital. And that is how he ended up being captured, basically giving up his own freedom to save the lives of his mates.

Then while in transit on the mainland of Greece, heading for Poland/Germany they were in a convoy of trucks with the wounded in the back, one German guard in the cab and a couple of them alternating the driving. The guard would regularly fall asleep during the night, and one particularly foggy night while they were at the back of the convoy they lost sight of the others at a T intersection. The guy driving decided they should make a break for it so they took off in the other direction away from the convoy. A few minutes up the road they stopped and check on the guys in the back and how bad they were. There were several in pretty bad shape who would have no hope of escaping and little hope of anything without the proper medical care they were receiving, so they turned around and rejoined the convoy, once again forsaking their own freedom to help others.


It kinda blew me away really, there must be thousands of other such stories of bravery and self sacrifice that have gone untold over the years because those involved would rather forget and try get on with normal life.

 

[Warborg]

Thanks for the edit.

Both grandfathers were in WW2, one was a medic and captured in Crete, spent several years in a POW camp, the other in the Signals Division, first in North Africa then in Italy. Both were amazing men, but neither really talked much about the war. I only recently found out the story of when the one on Crete was captured [actually surrendered] recently....

I'm also thankful for what people of other Countries did as well. After reading this story my eyes were wet. Your Grandfathers were awesome.

 

[Aquanero]

That is an amazing story of self sacrafice.

My father and his two younger brothers and three brothers in law fought in the US Army. My uncle Micheal was wounded and recieved the Purple Heart for wounds recived during Overlord (Normandy invasion) My Uncle Anthony fought in the Pacific and my father was in the Battle of the Buldge. One of my uncles (brother in law) was captured a little while after landing in Normandy and spent over a year as a POW he was freed by British troops (I think) after they liberated the camp he was in. All the guys were in pretty bad shape. Unfortunatly they are all gone now, but the stories will live on. My father told me that towards the end of the war German troops by the thousands were heading towards the west to surrender to the Americans and the British forces to escape capture by the Russians. My father told me a story about a german prisoner that spoke english asking about the V2 rockets he had heard about that could fly all the way to London. One of my fathers friends told him, none of them made it they all fell into the English Channel (It wasn't true) he said the guys face just dropped as he realized everything he was told was just BS. After the war ended my uncle Micheal said after the anger subsided the troops realized the average prisoner infantry solder was just a guy from a farm or a factory worker fighting for his county the same as they were and he said they treated them pretty good. Officers or Higher ranking officers and party officals that had an air of arrogance about them were not treated so nice by the average GI, he said they changed their tune pretty quickly.

My mothers father was gassed in the First World War and died at a relativly young age do to complecations from it. All of this was why I joined the Army right out of High School.

These are great stories. David your grandfather is a hero in the truest sense of the word, you have reason to be very proud.

 

[David R]

These are great stories. David your grandfather is a hero in the truest sense of the word, you have reason to be very proud.

Thanks, but it really makes me wonder how many other stories such as those went completely untold and just faded into history. I only heard the above story earlier this year, and my grandfather passed away in 1990. I was 9 at the time so didn't really have the maturity to understand completely what he must have been through. He had severe arthritis and kidney problems and was often wheelchair bound, yet would still sped hours playing catch or following me up and down their street in his chair while I was on my bike or skateboard. He was an amazing man, yet it seems that most I meet or hear about from that generation were too.

Amen to whoever called them the Greatest Generation.