A Cool Old Guy

[guntownuncle]

I just ran into a cool old guy who served in WWII and Vietnam. Mr. Alexander is pushing 90. First he was on a torpedo boat in the Solomons, then an ammunition ship and finally ended up on Okinawa. He said the torpedo boats where just as bad as the ammo ship because when it had a full load of torpedoes it was pretty much a floating bomb anyway. It sounded like much later, after working in Odessa, TX for a while he got back into the Seabees and served two tours in Vietnam maintaining helicopter bases. I wish I could have talked to him for a while longer, and I think he would have talked all day, but I was in the middle of work. Sometimes, if you keep an eye out, you can still run into some real Americans.

 

[afriqueart]

I work a couple of days a week at Dollywood. A few weeks ago there was an older man sitting on a bench with a WWII veteran hat on. I sat and talked to him for a few minutes. He was on a submarine in the pacific during WWII, dodged kamikazes and blew up several Japanese ships.

Not many of those guys around anymore. If you find one, thank him! It's because of men like that that we are able to live the kind of life we do!

 

[jframefreak]

Sounds like a guy I ran into at Mc Donalds over the winter. It was about 10 degrees outside and I'd been out checking cattle all morning and had gone up there to catch up on the news. He turned around and said "It's cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey, ain't it?". I didn't know what he meant, but I said "yeah, sure is." He'd been on a gun boat in the second world war and the brass monkeys were what held the cannon balls in a pyramid configuration for loading. When it got real cold the "brass monkeys" would contract and let the balls fall. Now I know what that means. Old fellers like that have the best stories you'll ever hear.

 

[29aholic]

Vets

A few years back I was at one of our hotels working when I found out they were hosting the annual Medal of Honor Recipients (not winners!!! they make that very clear) Ball. In attendance was 117 of the 125 living recipients. Obviously, I didnt get to meet them all, nor talk to any one of them for great lengths of time...but it was COOL to be in a room with people I had read about in history books.

 

[feralmerril]

I still have several uncles liveing that was in war 2. Uncle art was in the bulge. He was a MP, dog man and interpitor. Said he was assigned several times to drive Gen. Patton.

 

[jimmyj]

Hi:
Cannon Balls in WWII? Brass Monkeys held them?
In my area is a WWII Torpedo Pilot that was the only survivor of his squadron in the battle of Midway I met him at a local restaurant one evening. We were sitting at our table when he sat at the next table alone and began a conversation with my wife. I see him occassionly at area restaurants. I shake his hand and thank him for his service to this country every time. Also stand and salute when he leaves'
Jimmy

 

[pawncop]

Several years ago, I was taking care of an older gentleman who had pretty significant lung disease. I also knew this man from my work in law enforcement and he was mixed up with some of our local characters that were pretty unsavory.

One day while in the hospital I saw a newsletter next to his bedside table and it was a Bataan Survivor's newsletter. He was a survivor of the Bataan Death March. It also turned out that he had outlived his family and the folks he was hanging with took him in (probably for his check). I asked him if ever talked about that time and he was very emphatic he would not. He died shortly after that I was a little saddened that one who should have been honored for his service ended up in a situation that was less than desirable.

 

[jframefreak]

Hi:
Cannon Balls in WWII? Brass Monkeys held them?
In my area is a WWII Torpedo Pilot that was the only survivor of his squadron in the battle of Midway I met him at a local restaurant one evening. We were sitting at our table when he sat at the next table alone and began a conversation with my wife. I see him occassionly at area restaurants. I shake his hand and thank him for his service to this country every time. Also stand and salute when he leaves'
Jimmy

That's what he told me, I'm no WWII buff, was he BS'in me or something?

 

[Iggy]

Right story, wrong war... We quit using cannon balls after the Civil War

I remember the day!!

 

[jframefreak]

Right story, wrong war... We quit using cannon balls after the Civil War

I remember the day!!

Thanks for the clarification on that. Wait till I see that old coot again. I need to brush up on my heavy artillery knowledge to keep this from happening again.

 

[lcdrdanr]

Hi:
Cannon Balls in WWII? Brass Monkeys held them?
In my area is a WWII Torpedo Pilot that was the only survivor of his squadron in the battle of Midway I met him at a local restaurant one evening. We were sitting at our table when he sat at the next table alone and began a conversation with my wife. I see him occassionly at area restaurants. I shake his hand and thank him for his service to this country every time. Also stand and salute when he leaves'
Jimmy

That would have been Ens George Gay of Houston Texas. Wikipedia says:

American carrier aircraft had difficulty locating the target, despite the positions they had been given. Nevertheless, they did finally sight enemy carriers and began attacking at 09:20, led by Torpedo Squadron 8 (VT-8, from Hornet), followed by VT-6 (from Enterprise) at 09:40.[69] Without fighter escort, every TBD Devastator of VT-8 was shot down without being able to inflict any damage, with Ensign George H. Gay, Jr. the only survivor

Had VT-8 in their slow, outdated torpedo bombers not attacked and brought the Zeros down to sea level, there would have been a combat air patrol over the 4 Japanese carriers when the dive bombers arrived. Because of this, the dive bombers had no interference and were able to account for 3 of the carriers. 3 of the four Japanese carriers were abandoned and scuttled following the Battle of Midway.

I've often wondered what it must have felt like to return to the Carrier and be the only person left in the Squadron ready room.

Shake that man's hand the next time you see him and thank him for me, please.

Dan R

 

[enfield]

I ran into a WWII vet at the local Lowe's, where I helped him find what he was shopping for. He was in a wheelchair and had a serious voice problem, both courtesy of a Jap POW camp.

 

[bummer]

That would have been Ens George Gay of Houston Texas. Wikipedia says:

American carrier aircraft had difficulty locating the target, despite the positions they had been given. Nevertheless, they did finally sight enemy carriers and began attacking at 09:20, led by Torpedo Squadron 8 (VT-8, from Hornet), followed by VT-6 (from Enterprise) at 09:40.[69] Without fighter escort, every TBD Devastator of VT-8 was shot down without being able to inflict any damage, with Ensign George H. Gay, Jr. the only survivor

Had VT-8 in their slow, outdated torpedo bombers not attacked and brought the Zeros down to sea level, there would have been a combat air patrol over the 4 Japanese carriers when the dive bombers arrived. Because of this, the dive bombers had no interference and were able to account for 3 of the carriers. 3 of the four Japanese carriers were abandoned and scuttled following the Battle of Midway.

I've often wondered what it must have felt like to return to the Carrier and be the only person left in the Squadron ready room.

Shake that man's hand the next time you see him and thank him for me, please.

Dan R

I suggest you read A Dawn Like Thunder by Robert J. Mrazek , it tells the story of Torpedo Squadron 8. The TBM piloted by Albert Earnest survived the attack and returned to Midway but I believe he lost 1 of his crew to gunfire