WWII relatives

[A8balls]

If I remember everything correctly, my great grandfather joined the 6th Missouri volunteers during the Spanish-American war. He had only been in America a few years when he joined. I don't know what he did or where he went during that time. Died in the early 30's in St. Louis.
My grand father was in the Army during WWI. I think with an Infantry Company from St. Louis (my hometown) stationed at Jefferson Barracks for initial training. He passed away of pneumonia in 1944. I believe he was 48.
My father served with the 25th Infantry during WWII in the phillipines. He was a truck driver but was utilized in the tank destroyer unit in Luzon. Can't recall what unit as he never spoke of his service. My grand mother pretty much told me most of this.
I served with VMFA 115, MAG 12, 1st MAW. RF4Bs were my babies. I was an engine mechanic but cross trained as a plane captain (brown shirt). After my discharge in 1973, I joined the Army as a tank mechanic until I medically retired with cancer in 1989.
My oldest son was with the 81st airborne in both afghanistan and iraq as an infantryman. He now is with MI as an interogator at fort huachuka az.
My youngest son was with the 101st airborne and served in iraq as a medic. He is now working for a county ambulance service as a paramedic.

[Widewing]

I have a good bit of family history courtesy of a wealthy aunt who hired a researcher to dig up the roots.

My paternal great, great grand uncle Tyler resided outside Bedford Va. He joined the Confederate Army. He eventually attained the rank of Major, commanding the Bedford Light Artillery, Alexander's Battalion, Longstreet's Corps, Army of Northern Virginia. He fought at most of the major battles in the east, including Gettysburg and The Wilderness. He survived the war and later went west to California (1870s). I was able to obtain a pile of material from the National Archives, including things as mundane as requisitions for fodder and ammo for their revolvers.

On my mother's side, my great, great grandfather Carl was a member of the 68th Pennsylvania Regiment, Graham's First Brigade, Birney's First Division, Sickle's Third Corps, Army of the Potomac. He fought at Chancellorsville and Gettysburg, where he was wounded. He survived the wound and returned to his unit later 1863. He managed to survive the war.

Ironically, my great great grand uncle's artillery battery was engaged with my great great grandfather's regiment, when the whole of Graham's Brigade stormed the Peach Orchard. The Bedford Light Artillery was deployed in the orchard. Defending against a counter-attack, great great grandpa Carl was struck by a rifle ball that passed through his calf without hitting bone. He was helped to the rear and tended to in a field hospital behind Little Round Top. The Bedford Light Artillery was withdrawn across the Emmitsburg pike after sunset on July 2nd. It remained there next day, providing artillery support for "Pickett's Charge".

Carl's grandson, my grandfather John, served with the 28th Pennsylvania National Guard, which became the 28th Infantry Division. Deployed to France in 1917 he fought in the Meuse-Argonne, Champagne-Marne and Aisne-Marne campaigns. He was wounded by German artillery and spent the last weeks of the war in a hospital recovering.

My father served in the ETO in the 307th Field Artillery, 78th Infantry Division. He managed to survive the war uninjured.

My uncle Joe (mom's sister's husband) served aboard the USS Bennett, a Fletcher class destroyer. The Bennett earned 9 engagement flags.

My uncle Jim (my father's sister's husband) went through pilot training with the USAAF in 1942. He was assigned as a flight instructor in 1943, but wangled a transfer in June of 1945. He was assigned to fly a P-51, joining the 45th FS of the 15th FG at Iwo Jima in late June of 1945.

My regards,

Widewing

[Rollins]

Very cool WW.  Ironic indeed re: family on both sides.  Makes you wonder just how often that must have happened.
Back on topic, from the few years I was able to know my uncle on the earth, and what I could glean from my father:

My uncle served in PTO, WW2 aboard destroyers.  He recounted to my father that he had been blown off two, spending considerable time in the drink.  The only one I've been able to track down was his service aboard the Fletcher class USS Mullany DD-528.

The only time I ever heard him talk directly to me about the war was in a quite bemused manner, recounting how they hated the Japanese subs so much that in the event they could catch one close on the surface or force it up, they preferred ramming them to most other methods of disposal.   Can anyone verify that as an actual tactic?

In any case Uncle P. Montgomery.

[Bear76]

My Great Uncle was captured in the Battle of the Bulge by the SS. He was one of the fortunate ones not executed, but he did lose a foot to frostbite resulting from being marched to a prison camp for several days in the bitter cold. He never had a chance to put on his shoes when the attack began. He was a POW until he was liberated in 1945.

[bj229r]

My Dad flew PBY's in Philippines, ended up as Lt. Comdr. Never talked of it much. He flew DC3's for a living for some years after that, ultimately had a career in FAA in northern VA

[angelsandair]

Yea sadly i never met either of my grandfathers....both died before i was born.

But i really would have liked to meet the 1 who was in the Battle of Anzio.

Rollie "Buddy" Snell.

[wreckedem]

My father served in Viet Nam as a firefighter/EMT.

Here is a picture for the base paper that was taken of him when he was there.  He served on the HH43B Husky rescue chopper.

About three years ago, he shared his experience in some detail with my kids and I.  Not a dry eye in the room as we went through the photos that he had from there.  I had scanned in all of the photos that he took throughout his career, and we showed them on our projector at home.

[texasmom]

My grandpa ~ jug stud:



 AL GAMACHE, born July 11,1924 in Holyoke, Massachusetts. He attended Baltimore Polytechnic High School, the University of Baltimore, Eastern New Mexico University, Phoenix College and graduate management school at the University of Pittsburgh.

He is a graduate of Aviation Cadet Class 44-B, Aloe AAB, Victoria, Texas. After training in the P-47 at Goldsboro and Bluthenthal, he joined the 73rd Fighter Squadron, 318th Fighter Group in the Central Pacific. He flew escort and interdiction missions in the P-47D and N. The group kept the bypassed Marianas Islands neutralized with the routes extending as far south as Truk and as far north as Pagan Island. When the Group moved into the Okinawa area, Ie Shima, the target and escort area extended into Kyushu and on to Tokyo.

After WWII he flew P-47 s with the 104th Fighter Squadron (MDANG) until recalled to active duty during the Korean War. His total time in the P-47 amounts to 997 hours, of which 254 were combat hours. He continued in the service assigned to fighter assignments and staff duties until his retirement in 1971.

[bsdaddict]

My Granddad flew the 'cats (wild, hell and even bear) in the PTO.  Two kills, though I never learned that till after he had passed.  Only story I ever really heard about his experiences, since he didn't talk about it much, was a CV landing in a Hellcat he made after getting shot up to the point where he had a hole in his wing big enough to crawl thru.  After the war he went on to the pentagon and eventually became the XO then CO of the NROTC program at Villanova.  He retired a Captain, passed in '93 and is buried in Arlington National Cemetary a couple graves over from Renee Gagnon, one of the Iwo Jima flag raisers.

Dad and uncle flew during 'nam, Dad in an A-6 and uncle in an A-1 or A-4 (having a brain fart, can't remember which...)  Uncle saw combat but Dad didn't, as his carrier was tasked to the Med to protect the Suez canal...  Lucky for me, 'cause during liberty on Malta he met my Mom...  

oh, and to all the old heads in this thread...  

[froger]

My father served....
  356 BG based in Grafton underwood England in 1945
Flying B 17 Gs as a navigator.
 Shot down over Liepsig March 17 1945.
Ships name was Dark Terror..... Pow till Wars end.
 Ended his service retiring his commission as a Capt. USAF
  He is 86 yrs old and still works every day and is as healthy as can be.
Don't get him started if you don't want the stories. Personaly I can't get enough!

Thats it!
>>S<< froger

[texastc316]

My grandad flew c47s for the 9th air force. D-Day, Market Garden etc.

[Gowan]

My Great grandfather on my dad's side was in the U.S. Cavalry, his unit was the first on Hiroshima after the bomb

My Great Great Uncle on my Mom's side served in the U.S. Navy, he was stationed on the U.S.S. Arizona during the Pearl Harbor attacks, he survived

[Toecutter]

Great Uncle, was in the 8th Air Force 94th Bombardment Group out of England in WWII, I believe 16 Total missions with the 8th as a waist gunner on a B-17.  3 Missions to Berlin.

 His whole crew transfered to the 15th Air Force, 483rd Bombardment Group, 840th Bomber Squadron.  Plane went down when he was on his 47th mission (if I remember correctly-1/2 credit for missions out of Italy) on July 30th 1944.  Captured in Hungary.  Crew was gathered and put on a truck.  At some point the German soldiers protected my uncle and his crew from Hungarian civilains who were trying to hurt them.  Spent time in Stalag Luft IV until the whole camp was broken up into smaller groups and moved from the camp. They were marched around the country in what my uncle called the "Black March" he told me before he passed he remembered seeing ME 262's during the march as the passed by an airfield.

[texastc316]

oh forgot, great great etc uncle was a confederate general in the Civil War John B Gordon.

[Adonai]

Grandfather was a Hungarian Pilot defending hungary against Russians while flying 109s, not sure much details other then because of his pilot skills he was drafted as a fighter pilot to defend budapest, not sure on the unit either, knew he flew 109g6 and 109g14. Unfortunally what I do know, my grandfather and father excaped hungary in 1956 and left Russian controlled areas to Canada, then USA. He still lives today, but in extremely bad shape, been bed ridden for 2 years now.