War Stories

[decoy]

I know that a lot of war stories in these forums concern WWII, but let me share a story from my family that goes all the way back to the Late Unpleasantness of the 19th Century. 

My great-great-grandfather, Simeon Fletcher Culpepper, was a volunteer and an infantryman from north Georgia.  He fought at Harper's Ferry and at Gettysburg, where he was wounded.  He survived both the war and the doctor's treatment of his wound and, in 1913, went back to Gettysburg for a reunion of veterans of the battle.  After the official festivities were over, Mr. Culpepper went and found the oak tree that he had been hiding behind when he was shot.  Of course, after fifty years, the tree had grown considerably, but he brought home a twig from the tree as a souvenir.

Not that big a deal, but this is the rest of the story, as Paul Harvey used to say.  While Mr. Culpepper was looking for the tree, he encountered a man and introduced himself, and asked what the other fellow was doing.  "Well," he said, "I shot a Johnny Reb around here somewhere and he was hiding behind one of these oak trees.  I was looking for the tree." So Mr. Culpepper said, "I am that man you shot."

The two men exchanged addresses and through their correspondence, became friends, even exchanged Christmas cards until Mr. Culpepper died in 1929.  I always figured if those two men could be friends, I could be friends with just about anybody.

[Shuffler]

Good story!

I have always been of the mind that I have never met a man I didn't like, they had to prove it to me.

[Hajo]

One night, when I was around 6 years old I heard a scream, my fathers, coming from my parents bedroom.  I even though six years of age, got out of bed and went running to our parents bedroom.

My mother then said, "It's OK Wayne. your father just had a a bad dream, go back to bed."  To explain, my father served in the US Army during WWII fighting in North Africa and Italy.  Our beautiful Mother served in the Navy, and of all things was stationed at Norfolk Virginia and taught Naval Gunnery!  She also sang on the radio in NYC and had a beautifully strong operatic quality voice.

They knew one another since Junior High School and married after the War when they both came home.

I did not know what caused his bad dream until many years later when I asked our Mom about it one day.  She explained to me that  during heavy shelling, my Dad and his best friend in the army while being shelled jumped into a creek and went to the protective side So they thought.  They were shelled by what my Dad said were screaming mimis',German 88s.  A shell landed near them,caused my Dad to lose his hearing and unfortunately blew his friend into the creek.  My father dove into the Creek to get his friend and he carried him underneath a nearby Culvert.  His friend was screaming in pain.  His friend died in his arms, the bottom half of his friend was gone.

So...when you see a Vet of any war who looks unscathed and perfectly fine don't assume they are.  My Dad looked great, but like many other veterans of War he brought something home unseen.

They were wonderful parents.  When my Dad passed he was buried with full military honors as he was awarded the Bronze Star.  Since both Mom and Dad were cremated, Mom passing first, they both were buried in the same plot flying under the American Flag.  We, my brother sister and I were so fortunate to be children of the greatest generation, we had and were given a strong foundation upon which to build our lives.  They are our heroes.

[Shuffler]

One night, when I was around 6 years old I heard a scream, my fathers, coming from my parents bedroom.  I even though six years of age, got out of bed and went running to our parents bedroom.

My mother then said, "It's OK Wayne. your father just had a a bad dream, go back to bed."  To explain, my father served in the US Army during WWII fighting in North Africa and Italy.  Our beautiful Mother served in the Navy, and of all things was stationed at Norfolk Virginia and taught Naval Gunnery!  She also sang on the radio in NYC and had a beautifully strong operatic quality voice.

They knew one another since Junior High School and married after the War when they both came home.

I did not know what caused his bad dream until many years later when I asked our Mom about it one day.  She explained to me that  during heavy shelling, my Dad and his best friend in the army while being shelled jumped into a creek and went to the protective side So they thought.  They were shelled by what my Dad said were screaming mimis',German 88s.  A shell landed near them,caused my Dad to lose his hearing and unfortunately blew his friend into the creek.  My father dove into the Creek to get his friend and he carried him underneath a nearby Culvert.  His friend was screaming in pain.  His friend died in his arms, the bottom half of his friend was gone.

So...when you see a Vet of any war who looks unscathed and perfectly fine don't assume they are.  My Dad looked great, but like many other veterans of War he brought something home unseen.

They were wonderful parents.  When my Dad passed he was buried with full military honors as he was awarded the Bronze Star.  Since both Mom and Dad were cremated, Mom passing first, they both were buried in the same plot flying under the American Flag.  We, my brother sister and I were so fortunate to be children of the greatest generation, we had and were given a strong foundation upon which to build our lives.  They are our heroes.

Here here!

[decoy]

They were wonderful parents.  When my Dad passed he was buried with full military honors as he was awarded the Bronze Star.  Since both Mom and Dad were cremated, Mom passing first, they both were buried in the same plot flying under the American Flag.  We, my brother sister and I were so fortunate to be children of the greatest generation, we had and were given a strong foundation upon which to build our lives.  They are our heroes.

Thanks for sharing.  My philosophy has been, for a long time, that you never know what burden other people are carrying, so just be nice.

About five years ago, a guy that lives 'around the corner from us,' in the country, that can be anywhere from a mile to ten miles, passed away.  Mr. Mack Bush.  I found out at his funeral that he had earned the Silver Star in Vietnam.  Such a quiet man and, despite our many conversations, he never mentioned his service. 

[Shuffler]

Thanks for sharing.  My philosophy has been, for a long time, that you never know what burden other people are carrying, so just be nice.

About five years ago, a guy that lives 'around the corner from us,' in the country, that can be anywhere from a mile to ten miles, passed away.  Mr. Mack Bush.  I found out at his funeral that he had earned the Silver Star in Vietnam.  Such a quiet man and, despite our many conversations, he never mentioned his service.

I have a neighbor, he never talks about his service in Vietnam either. He was a chopper pilot. His legs are really scared up... I found out from others why.

[RotBaron]

Thanks for sharing.  My philosophy has been, for a long time, that you never know what burden other people are carrying, so just be nice.

 

Horrific and heinous things of course happen in wars, they also happen in the civilian world (maybe even to a greater degree).

The nightly news in Phoenix metro sure ain’t pretty. Honestly I don’t know how the night news anchors/reporters research, report the horrific stuff every night for years and somehow sleep.

[decoy]

Horrific and heinous things of course happen in wars, they also happen in the civilian world (maybe even to a greater degree).

The nightly news in Phoenix metro sure ain’t pretty. Honestly I don’t know how the night news anchors/reporters research, report the horrific stuff every night for years and somehow sleep.

I had a friend for a while, Ben Roberts, with the local station in Albany, Georgia, and I asked him that very question.  He said, "There's a reason they call us 'news readers.'"  He said the biggest challenge of his job was making happy talk with other 'anchors' while waiting for the next story to come up.  In other news, Ben said the meteorologist for the station was a bubble head.  Go figure.

[SIK1]

I had a good friend who was a LRRP in Vietnam, he never really talked much about the actual combat, but would talk about his adventures when not in the bush. One that I will always remember is how you don't want to use a ch it hook (chinook) to pick up your beer and soda. Apparently when his squad would get back from patrol he would get one of the chopper pilots to fly him into the supply depot on a sling, and would sling up a case of beer, and one of soda for his men. The reason you don't want to use the ch it (he pronounced it with an s) hook is that it blows the friggen (again not an exact quote) tin roof of the supply depot building.