I just read the most INCREDIBLE thing!!!! Absolutely unreal!!

Wish I could’ve thanked him personally. Truly a great man. Just gave an old vet a hundo for groceries the other day. Old guy with one of those hats that had his military info on it. Told him thanks and I’m paying for your groceries. He was all alone, slowly walking into Safeway, relying heavily on his cane. The way his demeanor changed still makes me feel good. Sad looking and distant to a big smile, wide eyes, and pride. I Reacted the same. Wish more people understood what it has taken for us to reach this level of freedom and convenience. Most, it would seem, just assume this country just happened and somehow they just deserve it or it’s not worth being proud of.

You absolutely should write a book if you can. My grandpa was a engineer and gunner, who was part of supply crew that flew the hump (the Himalaya's) during WW2.
Not to derail from your thread but, as a child he would tell me so many things about his service. He was awarded flying cross and others due to his engineering skills during battle. My Dad wrote a book for our family to have; it is priceless.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

My dad joined in 1940. He was stationed at Wheeler airfield and blown out of his bunk when Japan hit their base Dec 7 1942. There was an article written about him and he spoke of how he drank too much and missed Mess Hall that day which had a direct attack.

My Dad never saw actual war other than the original attack in Hawaii, but he had several medals due to his 33 years.

When he died in 2000, I gave some of these medals to my children. One of them decided to sell them at a garage sell. Fortunately I was there and retrieved them. She had no idea of the importance/family value of these medals.

Broke my heart that she had no knowledge or understanding of what the people of that day went through.

Wow!! You should be very proud of you father. He is a true hero and legend. Cherish that book and show it to your children and grandchildren. Pass it down so that it will never be forgotten.

sorry double post

a reply to: liveandlearn

It is truly sad that younger generations simply do not understand.

The most heart wrenching part is not the fact that a single person would give their life, but more importantly that entire generations of lineage would be extinguished by such tragedy.

Even for me, I just wouldn't even be here to write these words had my father perished over Europe. Nor would any of my sisters. Our way of life would be different had the Allies not prevailed, but we wouldn't know the difference.

It's just sad the absolutely mammoth gap in understanding of what our previous generations sacrificed to preserve the western way of life. To me, it's actually pretty maddening. That smug attitude that things will always be like this, with their cell phones and texting...just because. "just because" was never a strategic posture.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

We, I, have failed in teaching my children my children their history as I think our schools have been.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

crazy db.

Love this thread!

My connections are to the 351st, and the reading of the official mission reports are endlessly fascinating to me. Reading the debriefs and summaries really help put you in the scene and bring it to life.

Let me just say this is one of the best threads I've read on ATS in long while.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

If ATS only had this one thread...
It would still be worth it.

What a wonderful story. Thank you for your father's service. Thank you for sharing this story.
What an absolute blessing.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

That's an incredible story.. you and maybe your brother or sisters should cherish this monument of history. Not even selling it or give it away because I would presume he would have done it himself and you probably never would have seen it if he'd done that?

That of course is totally up to you and just a suggestion I made.

Now you're the only witness of a story nobody knows and I suggest to write a book about this with all copies and evidence you now have about this event your father and mother endured back then..

Write a book about this so my husband can read it for himself,
I will be waiting for the movie version.

I know a guy who was in the 101'st Airborne with Jimi Hendrix.
He is a badass with a rifle.
Doesn't use the sights. Just points from the hip and shoots whatever he is aiming at.

Well you could say I am the younger generation . 52 now .
and believe me when I say I know I understand to me that war was one of the every few fought for all the right reasons .
I tought my children to not join the modern military But If i had been born in 1922 i assure you i would have volunteered .
Your father will never be going as long as you hold him in your heart .
Being Irish we say sellabrate his life not morn his death .
The things he did will never be forgotten MORE importantly MUST be remembered or we are doomed to repeat it .

Most people think of the 4 or 5 million Jews the Germans killed in cold blood But tehy also killed over a million Gypsies and many many others in cold blood .

there are only two things that really make me angry . 1 when people say the Germans did not kill all thous people and two when people say we faked the moon landing . The two most important events in teh last 500 years being reduced to trash talk makes me sick to my stumic .

Any way remember him like many of us do . God I wish I could have been there . It was not a matter of only one life for country it was a matter of only one life FOR THE WORLD .

a reply to: midnightstar

Not to worry, you are not that young; I am 55, born very late in life.

Thankfully, I've had the chance to seek out and learn all the stories. Finding the scrap book I've referred to in the OP was not something I ever expected. And, the pieces of the puzzle which were missing, that this book filled in are staggering!

I too come from Irish blood, only 1/4 myself; my father 1/2 and my GM 100% (perhaps my GF too, but I am not sure).

I'm sorry you feel so anti-war toward WWII. Honestly, I'm not sure what life would be like today had the Axis been permitted to prevail. Frankly, I don't think you do either.

1922 was a far different time than 1941. It is interesting you would make that distinction...my GF fought in WWI. I have many stories there as well, but unfortunately not nearly the memorabilia.

Take care.

Best.

FCD

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

The cruelest thing about WW2, is that the bankers who funded the war just did not care about the people like your father.

If the bankers did not fund the war, then there would not have been war because both Germany and the rest of Europe including England, were all but fat broke before the war started.

From what I have read in recent times it seems one part of the Rothschild family of bankers funded Germany and the other part of the Rothschild banking family funded England and the allies.

Even today this kind of trickery still continues. If 911 did not happen, then what excuse would the US have to invade and take over Afghanistan. They would be scraping the bottom of the barrel for an excuse and certainly would have still invaded and taken over Afghanistan anyway because Afghanistan has mountains of rare earths of the same type North Korea has.

There is also a large deposits of this rare earth in China or Russia, not sure which now, so you can see the strategic importance of Afghanistan.

a reply to: Azureblue

What is this 'rare earth' which you refer to?

Are you referring to the (17) 'Rare Earth Elements' in the periodic table of elements? (...none of which are particularly "rare" and/or valuable in and of themselves). Further, the value of Rare Earth Elements (REE / REM) has only really increased recently (say the past 2 decades) with the advent of electronics technology. These relative value increases were not present during WWII as technology such as lasers (etc.) had not been developed yet.

Or...are you referring to something like gold as being a 'rare earth' (which wouldn't really be a correct reference)?

ETA...Also, I'm not sure I agree with your likening of the justifications for WWII and the conflict in Afghanistan. They are two wholly different conflicts. And, while I will agree world banks will loan money to absolutely anyone they think has a reasonable ability to pay it back with interest, I don't think that was the case with Nazi Germany. In the case of Nazi Germany, they just devalued their own currency by printing more and more of it until it became worth nothing. Remember, the world economic stage was a far different environment in the pre-1930's than it is today.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Thank you so much for sharing this story. My Father was in the Pacific, a tail gunner in VPB-119. He never spoke of his experiences until after my Mom passed away, then he started sharing his stories.

My Grandfather was in Tinan Pacific as a Fighter and Bomber Mechanic and also did Bombing Runs ,

He was in the 72nd and 77th
535th Air Engineering Squadron
The 6th Bomb Group

My Grand Father ( Sleeves Rolled Up First one Bottom Row ) from left to right First ONE




( His Grave Stone )
Eugene Elmer Joubert
535th AIR ENGR SQ AAF



( Some History)
The 6th Bomb Group
The Organization
philcrowther.com...

Members of the 72nd ASG Prop Shop inspect a Japanese copy of the Hamilton-Standard propeller. All agreed that the workmanship was outstanding.

My Grandfather ( checking out the Jap Prop while everyone else is standing )




My other Grandfather was with Pattons 3rd Army
Built Bridges and Fought at Battle of Remagan ( Last bridge you can Cross the Rhine )
and involved in Liberating 2 Concentration Camps Dachu and Mauthausen

Here his Story

Madrid World War II veteran bridged many gaps during duty
www.watertowndailytimes.com...

Thanks for sharing