WWII Veteran

[pharmer]

The little fella, my dad was 26 when he was drafted in 1943. "Boys" on the USS Madison called him "Pops" and kidded him as storekeeper about insisting on sleeping above deck. He's gone since 1996 and I'll never forget sitting with him 8 hours before he passed, frantic over the Ju 88's attacking his ship once again. Joe

 

[Greyman50]

My Dad was a Lt. in an Aviation Engineer unit in Italy. One evening the Co decided that the company needed to practice night navigation on a march. They were W of Naples near Foggia so into the hill s they went the Co leading the way. After dark they stopped and the Co said, we will return to the company area". He got in front and off they went. After an hour no one knew where they were. Question went down the line unit it got to my Dad. He said I know how to get us back. So the Co put my Dad in front with his compass.Dad was a degreed forester and had worked in the Mnts of NC in the 30's and knew how to use a compass. Funny story and the reason I have a compass in the vehicles and real road maps as I was taught vey well.

 

[bgrafsr]

My father was in the Army Air Force and an Uncle was a grunt in the Army.
My father brought home a P38 that he said he took off a dead German soldier. My uncle had several Lugers he was bringing back and they were packed in his duffel bag. When the ship was getting close to California, an announcement was made that all bags would be checked when the soldiers were getting off the ship to check for weapons.
My uncle took his Lugers and threw them in the bay. When he was disembarking, no one checked the bags. My uncle was really po'd about that.

 

[bgrafsr]

The little fella, my dad was 26 when he was drafted in 1943. "Boys" on the USS Madison called him "Pops" and kidded him as storekeeper about insisting on sleeping above deck. He's gone since 1996 and I'll never forget sitting with him 8 hours before he passed, frantic over the Ju 88's attacking his ship once again. Joe

My father was dying of cancer and was on hospice at home. I was working day shift at the Police Department, when the dispatcher called me in. She said I was to go to mom and dads' home as my father was ready to pass on.
I got to the home before he died. I sat with him and told him how proud we were of him and how he was a good father to 9 kids. He was going and my one sister told him not to go, but I said he was ready and let him go. He yelled out "hi boys, I'm coming" and then he died.
I don't know to this day if he was calling out to his brothers or men he was with in the AAF.
There were 15 siblings in my dad's family. 10 boys and 5 girls.
In my family I am the oldest of 9 children.