Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Aces High General Discussion => Topic started by: Frodo on December 27, 2020, 04:10:06 PM
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JG11 will be having a memorial flight for our friend Vilkas who recently passed away. Anyone who wants to attend is welcome. We have set it up so you don't need flight controls to participate. In the hope that his friends who no longer play and may not have flight controls can participate.
It will be next Sunday Jan. 3rd 2021 in the Special Events Arena at 8:00 pm Eastern time.
Vilkas liked to gun in the game more than anything, and was very good at it. So we will have a line of Battleships set up and a member or members of JG11 will overfly the ships. We invite you to grab a gun or launch a PT boat, and fire away as the flight goes over. Turn tracers on and it should make quite a show.
:salute Vilkas
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A cartoon I did for him with his "little buddy" years ago.
The man and his gun
(https://i.postimg.cc/RV9jKsh1/Vilkas.jpg)
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Nice Fugi! :cheers:
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I will redown load the Game for this Memorial. I sold all my stuff Ron so I would be happy to fly as a gunner of take up a spot for the 88
:salute :salute
Molsman
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:aok :cheers:
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I'll be there.
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I'll be there :aok
Great drawing Fugi!!
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:cheers:
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I shared the announcement to AH3 Facebook Group. <S>
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Thanks for all the help with this Nef. :salute
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:salute
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Just thought about this my sub is no longer good so I may or may not be able to attend this
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Just thought about this my sub is no longer good so I may or may not be able to attend this
Obviously
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Is 5he special events arena a free arena? If so, no problem, if not maybe it should be switched to an arena that is free
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Is 5he special events arena a free arena? If so, no problem, if not maybe it should be switched to an arena that is free
I do not believe SEA is free. That is where FSO and Scenarios are held.
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:airplane:
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https://www.gulfislandsdriftwood.com/uncategorized/gruzas-walter-john/
WALTER JOHN GRUZAS
1930 – 2020
Walter was born on April 9 1930, in Marijampole Lithuania. He passed away from cancer at home in the early morning hours of June 6 2020.
Walter leaves behind his wife of 68 years Lucija, who he loved with all his heart and soul. Sons Wally (Kristi), Rick (Diana) and Mike (Laurianne). Daughter Sylvia (Guy). Grandchildren Cody, Samantha, Michelle (Lucas) Chris, Andrea & Jenna. Great Grandchildren McKenzie and Harrison. He was a loving and caring son, brother, husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather.
A firm handshake and a warm smile. He would gladly tell stories to anyone fortunate enough to listen. Anecdotes of his childhood memories of family and friends. The good times and the bad. Losing everything to the second world war (as did Mom) and of his coming to Canada as a young man to start a new life.
He enjoyed his early days in Canada working as a miner in Northern Quebec, then as a cowboy in the Alberta Badlands. Later retuning to Montreal, where he met and married Lucija (Mom). While raising a family with his wife he put himself through university to become a technical illustrating supervisor. A diligent hard worker who constantly strived for knowledge.
After a long hard life of work and supporting his family, Mom and Dad retired to Victoria and finally settled on Salt Spring Island.
He loved family, life, people, music, art, wildflowers and birds. Going for long drives on clear, crisp autumn days.
Miss you Dad.
Thank you to all that made Dads life more comfortable towards the end and to his many friends and your kind words.
Please consider donation to the Canadian Cancer Society or the Lady Minto Hospital.
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Thx Nef!
I wondered why he never answered back,I knew he had fallen and got hurt but I didnt know when he had passed.This answers many questions,we would chat on FB after he left AH,he told me they kept moving his flight stuff and he was having difficulties getting it working so he just gave up flying.
I miss him even more now!
:salute
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Thanks for posting that Nef
:salute
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Thx Nef!
I wondered why he never answered back,I knew he had fallen and got hurt but I didnt know when he had passed.This answers many questions,we would chat on FB after he left AH,he told me they kept moving his flight stuff and he was having difficulties getting it working so he just gave up flying.
I miss him even more now!
:salute
That's possibly the one reason I would have started a FB account.
:cry I should have set a alarm for this. I got busy and noticed about 8:50 or so.
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That's possibly the one reason I would have started a FB account.
:cry I should have set a alarm for this. I got busy and noticed about 8:50 or so.
TBH Fuze,it's my wife's account but I get what you mean.
:salute
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<S> Vilkas! RIP
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:salute
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A tribute to Vilkas aka Walter Gruzas.
I first met Walter in the late 1990’s. We both lived on an Island off the west coast of British Columbia called Salt Spring Island. Population 12,000. I had just moved there with my young family and purchased a hobby and craft store with a SEARS Cataloque outlet. Walter was in the store often to pick up Sears packages for his wife Lucie. It did not take long before Walter became aware of my interest in all things WWII and Walter began to share his life experiences from the war. Over time, I learned of the highlights of Walter’s wartime experiences. I would like to share those with you.
Walter was born in Lithuania. His family owned some land with a mill on it. Shortly after the Germans invaded Poland in Sept 1939, Lithuania was invaded by the Russians. As was a convention during wartime, a Russian officer and his assistant moved in with Walter’s family and remained until the Germans invaded Russia in 1941. At that time, the wartime convention continued and a German Officer and his assistant moved into Walter’s house. Walter was soon conscripted into the German Army at the age of 16.
Walter was sent to an Island U-Boat base off the north coast of Germany, in the Baltic Sea, where he remained for the rest of the war. During this time, the Germans put Walter through high school, while he also performed military duties. Walter told me that his base was bombed by the British every day at 12:30, just after lunch time. He told me that you could set your watch to their arrival and that the British bombed them at 12:30, because this allowed them time to get back to their base for afternoon tea. I don’t know if this is fact, or just some of Walter’s humor thrown in, but the idea sure made me chuckle. Walter’s main military duty, was to drive a motorcycle with a side car around the base and throw out smoke canisters during these air raids.
I recall two of Walter’s stories that really reinforced the fact that this was wartime. There was an occasion, during one of these regularly scheduled British bombing raids, where a single bomber turned back over the base and flew particularly low. As the bomber flew over, Walter was shot at by the tail gunner. On another occasion, Walter was leaning against a power pole, eating an apple, while he watched a single P-38 fly overhead. As Walter was standing there, the P-38 dove down and did a strafing run at Walter. I can’t recall on which of these occasions it happened, but Walter received a leg wound from the bullet fire either from the bomber or the P-38.
You may recall discussions of degrees of separation, which is about how many people separate you, through direct contact, from someone famous, or infamous. Well, anyone who knew Walter, is only two degrees of separation from Adolf Hitler and Hermann Goering.
Adolf Hitler visited Walter’s base on one occasion, where there was a big gathering to attend Hitler’s speech. Walter saw Hitler from a distance of a few 10’s of yards. Walter’s proximity to Goering was much closer, as during Hermann’s visit he was only a few feet away.
Walter had a sister, who worked in a German Intelligence office. This allowed her access to information, which allowed her to become aware of the imminent German defeat that was coming. She arranged passage by train, for herself to a train station on mainland Germany, near Walter’s off shore base and asked Walter to try to get leave, so that he could meet with her. Walter received his leave of a few days and waited for his sister to arrive at the train station. He ended up waiting for about a day and a half before her train arrived.
Upon Walter’s sister’s arrival, she shared her knowledge of the pending German defeat and the Russian occupation, which was to follow. It took some time, but she also was able to persuade Walter to not return to his base and join her to travel to western Germany, where they had an uncle. The two made their way to their Uncles and Walter surrendered to the Americans. At first, the Americans treated Walter with some hostility, but when it became known of his Lithuanian citizenship, his forced conscription and ability to speak Lithuanian, Russian and German, Walter was put to work as a translator.
After the war, Walter connected with relatives in Toledo Ohio, and received sponsorship to emigrate to the United States. Walter ended up on Toronto Canada, where he met and married his wife Lucie. Eventually, Walter became an employee of Pratt and Whitney, where he worked as a technical illustrator. Walter and Lucie enjoyed their retirement living on Salt Spring Island, where we met.
I introduced Walter to Aces High in about 2005, (can’t recall exactly) where he eventually met all of the fine folks in the Aces High Community. I was absent from Aces High from 2009 to 2020, so I missed many of the experiences, but I did keep in touch with Walter during these years. I moved away from Salt Spring Island in 2008. When I did speak to Walter, he spoke of Fuzeman and his squad with much affection. I understand that at times, members would get together and help Walter pay his monthly fees so that he could continue to play, wow what a great community!
To everyone who knew and flew with Vilkas, I just want to say thank you for taking care of my friend, and making him feel at home within the Aces High community. We are all better off for having known him. He is very much missed by us all.
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VERTEX thanks so much for your post. A great read, a great life. We all miss Vilkas.
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Thank you VERTEX. :salute
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:salute Vilkas
Very nice read Vertex. Also a big :salute to the Aces High Community adding joy to a sometimes difficult life. :airplane:
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A tribute to Vilkas aka Walter Gruzas.
I first met Walter in the late 1990’s. We both lived on an Island off the west coast of British Columbia called Salt Spring Island. Population 12,000. I had just moved there with my young family and purchased a hobby and craft store with a SEARS Cataloque outlet. Walter was in the store often to pick up Sears packages for his wife Lucie. It did not take long before Walter became aware of my interest in all things WWII and Walter began to share his life experiences from the war. Over time, I learned of the highlights of Walter’s wartime experiences. I would like to share those with you.
Walter was born in Lithuania. His family owned some land with a mill on it. Shortly after the Germans invaded Poland in Sept 1939, Lithuania was invaded by the Russians. As was a convention during wartime, a Russian officer and his assistant moved in with Walter’s family and remained until the Germans invaded Russia in 1941. At that time, the wartime convention continued and a German Officer and his assistant moved into Walter’s house. Walter was soon conscripted into the German Army at the age of 16.
Walter was sent to an Island U-Boat base off the north coast of Germany, in the Baltic Sea, where he remained for the rest of the war. During this time, the Germans put Walter through high school, while he also performed military duties. Walter told me that his base was bombed by the British every day at 12:30, just after lunch time. He told me that you could set your watch to their arrival and that the British bombed them at 12:30, because this allowed them time to get back to their base for afternoon tea. I don’t know if this is fact, or just some of Walter’s humor thrown in, but the idea sure made me chuckle. Walter’s main military duty, was to drive a motorcycle with a side car around the base and throw out smoke canisters during these air raids.
I recall two of Walter’s stories that really reinforced the fact that this was wartime. There was an occasion, during one of these regularly scheduled British bombing raids, where a single bomber turned back over the base and flew particularly low. As the bomber flew over, Walter was shot at by the tail gunner. On another occasion, Walter was leaning against a power pole, eating an apple, while he watched a single P-38 fly overhead. As Walter was standing there, the P-38 dove down and did a strafing run at Walter. I can’t recall on which of these occasions it happened, but Walter received a leg wound from the bullet fire either from the bomber or the P-38.
You may recall discussions of degrees of separation, which is about how many people separate you, through direct contact, from someone famous, or infamous. Well, anyone who knew Walter, is only two degrees of separation from Adolf Hitler and Hermann Goering.
Adolf Hitler visited Walter’s base on one occasion, where there was a big gathering to attend Hitler’s speech. Walter saw Hitler from a distance of a few 10’s of yards. Walter’s proximity to Goering was much closer, as during Hermann’s visit he was only a few feet away.
Walter had a sister, who worked in a German Intelligence office. This allowed her access to information, which allowed her to become aware of the imminent German defeat that was coming. She arranged passage by train, for herself to a train station on mainland Germany, near Walter’s off shore base and asked Walter to try to get leave, so that he could meet with her. Walter received his leave of a few days and waited for his sister to arrive at the train station. He ended up waiting for about a day and a half before her train arrived.
Upon Walter’s sister’s arrival, she shared her knowledge of the pending German defeat and the Russian occupation, which was to follow. It took some time, but she also was able to persuade Walter to not return to his base and join her to travel to western Germany, where they had an uncle. The two made their way to their Uncles and Walter surrendered to the Americans. At first, the Americans treated Walter with some hostility, but when it became known of his Lithuanian citizenship, his forced conscription and ability to speak Lithuanian, Russian and German, Walter was put to work as a translator.
After the war, Walter connected with relatives in Toledo Ohio, and received sponsorship to emigrate to the United States. Walter ended up on Toronto Canada, where he met and married his wife Lucie. Eventually, Walter became an employee of Pratt and Whitney, where he worked as a technical illustrator. Walter and Lucie enjoyed their retirement living on Salt Spring Island, where we met.
I introduced Walter to Aces High in about 2005, (can’t recall exactly) where he eventually met all of the fine folks in the Aces High Community. I was absent from Aces High from 2009 to 2020, so I missed many of the experiences, but I did keep in touch with Walter during these years. I moved away from Salt Spring Island in 2008. When I did speak to Walter, he spoke of Fuzeman and his squad with much affection. I understand that at times, members would get together and help Walter pay his monthly fees so that he could continue to play, wow what a great community!
To everyone who knew and flew with Vilkas, I just want to say thank you for taking care of my friend, and making him feel at home within the Aces High community. We are all better off for having known him. He is very much missed by us all.
Thanks so much for sharing! I remember being a teenager listening to Vilkas's stories. I was so upset when I learned of his passing and couldn't participate in the memorial. He was a kind gentleman that I will always remember sharing the skies with.
<S>
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Thx for filling is some things for me Vertex,Walter was my wingman for many a friday squad ops.
I miss him dearly.
:salute
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I try not too nit pick, as we all know the memories fade as we get older and places and times get confusing, but Walter would have been 15 when the war ended. Still an amazing story of survival and perseverance and he will be sorely missed.
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Nefarious, you must be right, Born in 1930, WWII ended in 45'. Walter would have been 15. He must have been 13 when conscripted. I remember him telling me he was big for his age, maybe the Germans thought he was 16 and that is what I am remembering.
In any case, I think this underscores why we must retell the experiences of our elders, so that the information is not lost to time.
Cheers to everyone.
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A tribute to Vilkas aka Walter Gruzas.
I first met Walter in the late 1990’s. We both lived on an Island off the west coast of British Columbia called Salt Spring Island. Population 12,000. I had just moved there with my young family and purchased a hobby and craft store with a SEARS Cataloque outlet. Walter was in the store often to pick up Sears packages for his wife Lucie. It did not take long before Walter became aware of my interest in all things WWII and Walter began to share his life experiences from the war. Over time, I learned of the highlights of Walter’s wartime experiences. I would like to share those with you.
Walter was born in Lithuania. His family owned some land with a mill on it. Shortly after the Germans invaded Poland in Sept 1939, Lithuania was invaded by the Russians. As was a convention during wartime, a Russian officer and his assistant moved in with Walter’s family and remained until the Germans invaded Russia in 1941. At that time, the wartime convention continued and a German Officer and his assistant moved into Walter’s house. Walter was soon conscripted into the German Army at the age of 16.
Walter was sent to an Island U-Boat base off the north coast of Germany, in the Baltic Sea, where he remained for the rest of the war. During this time, the Germans put Walter through high school, while he also performed military duties. Walter told me that his base was bombed by the British every day at 12:30, just after lunch time. He told me that you could set your watch to their arrival and that the British bombed them at 12:30, because this allowed them time to get back to their base for afternoon tea. I don’t know if this is fact, or just some of Walter’s humor thrown in, but the idea sure made me chuckle. Walter’s main military duty, was to drive a motorcycle with a side car around the base and throw out smoke canisters during these air raids.
I recall two of Walter’s stories that really reinforced the fact that this was wartime. There was an occasion, during one of these regularly scheduled British bombing raids, where a single bomber turned back over the base and flew particularly low. As the bomber flew over, Walter was shot at by the tail gunner. On another occasion, Walter was leaning against a power pole, eating an apple, while he watched a single P-38 fly overhead. As Walter was standing there, the P-38 dove down and did a strafing run at Walter. I can’t recall on which of these occasions it happened, but Walter received a leg wound from the bullet fire either from the bomber or the P-38.
You may recall discussions of degrees of separation, which is about how many people separate you, through direct contact, from someone famous, or infamous. Well, anyone who knew Walter, is only two degrees of separation from Adolf Hitler and Hermann Goering.
Adolf Hitler visited Walter’s base on one occasion, where there was a big gathering to attend Hitler’s speech. Walter saw Hitler from a distance of a few 10’s of yards. Walter’s proximity to Goering was much closer, as during Hermann’s visit he was only a few feet away.
Walter had a sister, who worked in a German Intelligence office. This allowed her access to information, which allowed her to become aware of the imminent German defeat that was coming. She arranged passage by train, for herself to a train station on mainland Germany, near Walter’s off shore base and asked Walter to try to get leave, so that he could meet with her. Walter received his leave of a few days and waited for his sister to arrive at the train station. He ended up waiting for about a day and a half before her train arrived.
Upon Walter’s sister’s arrival, she shared her knowledge of the pending German defeat and the Russian occupation, which was to follow. It took some time, but she also was able to persuade Walter to not return to his base and join her to travel to western Germany, where they had an uncle. The two made their way to their Uncles and Walter surrendered to the Americans. At first, the Americans treated Walter with some hostility, but when it became known of his Lithuanian citizenship, his forced conscription and ability to speak Lithuanian, Russian and German, Walter was put to work as a translator.
After the war, Walter connected with relatives in Toledo Ohio, and received sponsorship to emigrate to the United States. Walter ended up on Toronto Canada, where he met and married his wife Lucie. Eventually, Walter became an employee of Pratt and Whitney, where he worked as a technical illustrator. Walter and Lucie enjoyed their retirement living on Salt Spring Island, where we met.
I introduced Walter to Aces High in about 2005, (can’t recall exactly) where he eventually met all of the fine folks in the Aces High Community. I was absent from Aces High from 2009 to 2020, so I missed many of the experiences, but I did keep in touch with Walter during these years. I moved away from Salt Spring Island in 2008. When I did speak to Walter, he spoke of Fuzeman and his squad with much affection. I understand that at times, members would get together and help Walter pay his monthly fees so that he could continue to play, wow what a great community!
To everyone who knew and flew with Vilkas, I just want to say thank you for taking care of my friend, and making him feel at home within the Aces High community. We are all better off for having known him. He is very much missed by us all.
Thanks Vertex -{S}-
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Vertex, thank you so much for posting that! :salute
I will never forget listening to Vilkas' singing old German marching songs while JG11 flew off to battle in FSO events. That, and all the times we laughed with him online. I am so very glad that I got to meet him during my brief visit to Salt Spring Island.
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My grandmother stood on the running board of Hitler's car... Guess that makes me one degree of separation.
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My grandmother stood on the running board of Hitler's car... Guess that makes me one degree of separation.
on my father's side my grandma had cousins that fought for germany, they didnt even speak german but were called back to serve, 1 out of 3 came back. on my mother's side my grandma lost her older brother who got drafted and the last letter they got was that he was going to a place called europe and never came back, he was on the us side.
semp
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:salute