Another Hero

[Kevin G]

Was in the supermarket a few days ago, an older gentleman a ways off had a blue felt ball cap on, couldn't make out the caption though.
Later we passed in an aisle, "101 AIRBORNE" along w/a "jump pin". I was looking at him trying to gauge his age when he took notice, pegged him as probably a Korean vet.
Explained I was checking out his hat, asked if he was 101st, he replied yes. I told him I admired his courage. He chuckled and asked me if I'd seen Saving Private Ryan. I answered yes, he replied he only had to jump out of a plane and let gravity take over, others had to consiously wade ashore one step at a time under fire.
This indicated to me he'd jumped in combat so asked where he served.
He jumped into Holland went thru the Battle of the Bulge and finished the war in Bavaria. He was very soft spoken, while talking to me a woman, his wife probably, joined him w/a few grocery items in her hands. She stood close to him and you could see her pride for him. I'm no WW II expert but w/the info he gave I'm pretty certain this man was in the thick of it.
This was all very moving for me, I was misting up fast. It wasn't my place to make this man feel uncomfortable I needed to leave. I thanked him for his service and told him I really appreciated all he'd done.
I thank all the Heros.
Kevin G

 

[the ringo kid]

Google the name: Greg Wiley. He was a great gent I met over 20 years ago. His wife Millie--worked with my mother. Anyway,just google his name.......... He was a Sergeant in the 36th I.D.--and eventually became one of Roosevelts personal guards...

 

[mstem]

I was in Darlington, SC at a gas station filling up. A car pulled up at the pump across from me. An older man got out & he was wearing a "Korean War Veteran" hat. I walk over to him told him "thank you for your service to our country" and shook his hand. All of a sudden tears started pouring out & he began to cry. I felt like a fool. I didn't know what to do so I walked inside to pay. There was a long line at the register. As I was waiting the mans wife walked up to me and thanked me for saying what I did to her husband. She was so happy that I did it. Before I could say anything she told me that I was the only person that had thanked him. I went from feeling like a fool to feeling really good. Now when I see any veteran I thank them.

 

[shouldazagged]

I was in a restaurant with a couple of women friends, a neighbor and her daughter, when a very old, frail man was assisted to a nearby table by a middle-aged woman I guessed was a granddaughter. He was wearing a WWII Veteran cap. I excused myself from my friends, walked over to his table, went to attention and snapped off a salute. He grinned, the granddaughter beamed, and he wanted to tell me the whole history of his combat experience. My friends needed to leave, but I wish I'd been able to sit and listen. If I had had the money I'd have bought his dinner.

We're losing those men and women, and the ones from the Korean War (don't tell me it was a "police action") at a sad and terrible rate. Some of the Vietnam folks too. But WWII was my dad's war, so I salute those guys whenever I can.

 

[LTC]

The first "thanks" I received for my service during the 60's came at an air show in Reading PA about 30 years after my discharge. The thanks and a heartfelt hand shake brought tears to my eyes too.

LTC

 

[Abbynormal]

My Uncle is 89 years old and a WWII vet with the 71st Inf. He earned a Combat Medic Badge (Medic's version of a CIB) 2 bronze stars and was wounded twice. He received 2 wounds in action from German 88 shrapnel, but didn't get a Purple Heart because he was too busy treating wounded to fill out the card that accompanied wounded to Field hospitals. He stayed on the line wounded and still caring for both GI's and Germans.
My cousin and I have suggested that we file for delayed Purple Hearts due to his situation, but he stopped us COLD!
He said he was only doing his job and didn't earn any special treatment.

They don't make em' like that any more.

 

[just jim]

Make it short but my father in law joined the Navy right after Pearl Harbor. Put him on a ship that did battle against the Germans all around the Mediterranean. Ended up getting his ship damaged by a bomb in the D day landings. German dropped the bomb then did a fly by flipping the bird. During the landings they sent him with the Higgins boat to rescue people in the water, he was the only one who knew how to swim.

Ship sent off for repairs and they sent Ed to serve on the Nevada after they repaired it. Spent the rest of the war fighting the japs. Said the kamikaze planes coming all the time at one point and he got so tired and stressed that he passed out at his gun. Woke up in a pile of dead men.

Ed was the average American, served heroically and never got any medals. Gave up four years of life to keep us safe, some people don't seem to grasp what that means.

 

[Old 44 Guy]

All of my WW2 friends are gone now. But I remember their stories & think about them often. Tarawa, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, Phillipines,Saipan, were involved. Others were in Europe with Patton. And many of my buddys that were in Korea are gone also.

 

[LTC]

Ship sent off for repairs and they sent Ed to serve on the Nevada after they repaired it. Spent the rest of the war fighting the japs. Said the kamikaze planes coming all the time at one point and he got so tired and stressed that he passed out at his gun. Woke up in a pile of dead men.

Jim,
I have a friend who is a member of our pistol club who served on the Nevada, as I believe, a gunner's mate. He went on board in the shipyard on the west coast where the Nevada was repaired after Pearl Harbor. I think he said he was 17 at the time. He served in at least three oceans and was also on board for the Normandy invasion. He served on the Nevada until the end of the war with Japan seeing considerable combat in the Pacific.

LTC

 

[just jim]

Ed loved the Nevada, was really upset after all the battles they fought the japs surrendered on the newer Missouri.

 

[Ray]

If he said Holland maybe he meant Market Garden ?