Veterans

[pipz]

Pipz.
Its a brilliant idea but unfortunatly not realy practical for me. I live in small area, where I can name almost everybody inside of a 40 mile area. I can meet them all walking down the street so my chance of bumping into a Veteran are nil, sorry to say. Its just the way it is. I live in the north west of Scotland, so its not even seen any major battles or skirmishes that may bring the vets. This game and these boards are my best chance to meet these vets, hence the call.
Macleod01

You know awhile after I posted that I thought..."I wonder if he lives in an isolated area"...and of course <G> Maybe you could check for local Veteran groups by phone or the internet like some of the guys have mentioned and just take it from there.


Pipz

[macleod01]

You know awhile after I posted that I thought..."I wonder if he lives in an isolated area"...and of course <G> Maybe you could check for local Veteran groups by phone or the internet like some of the guys have mentioned and just take it from there.


Pipz

I have done that and come up with the number of one old Gentleman. I happen to know him anyway and I was going to visit him come the new week. He served in North Africa and up through Austria.

I just got word from Vilkas and he feels it too painful to share his memories with me. If anyone can ask Wildcat1 it would be much appreciated.

Many Thanks

[pipz]

I just got word from Vilkas and he feels it too painful to share his memories with me.

You will find some fella's very open about theyre service while others would rather not talk about it.I worked with an old vet many years ago.His name was Dick and he was a top shelf machinist.He told me one day that he drove a landing craft into Anzio.He said he saw a lot of people get hurt and didnt like to talk about it so we left it at that.Usualy when I talk to a vet I may ask some general question or say something like "Oh you were in the Navy in WW2?" or what have ya.If they want to talk about it you will know.I usualy let them lead the conversation and ask questions on things they seem to enjoy talking about.Obviously you have to be very sensative about these things.You found a vet from North Africa that sounds like a very good start to me.

Pipz

[macleod01]

You will find some fella's very open about theyre service while others would rather not talk about it.I worked with an old vet many years ago.His name was Dick and he was a top shelf machinist.He told me one day that he drove a landing craft into Anzio.He said he saw a lot of people get hurt and didnt like to talk about it so we left it at that.Usualy when I talk to a vet I may ask some general question or say something like "Oh you were in the Navy in WW2?" or what have ya.If they want to talk about it you will know.I usualy let them lead the conversation and ask questions on things they seem to enjoy talking about.Obviously you have to be very sensative about these things.You found a vet from North Africa that sounds like a very good start to me.

Pipz

I understand entirely how he feels about the subject, and I never pressed him. It would feel wrong to anyway. The gentleman I spoke of is very open and has spoken to me once or twice about the war, including when he came under attack from a flight of Stukas.

Just because someone wont speak about it, doesn't mean I dont honour him as much.

<S>

Edit - That last line was not ment to be a 'get back' at you pipz, just simply saying. Nothing ment

[pipz]

I hope you didnt take anything I said the wrong way.All I was saying is that some guys talk about things and others dont.Other than that I wasnt implying anything about you and just giving some of my thoughts.


Pipz

[macleod01]

Dont worry, I never. I was just saying.

No worries sir

[mechanic]

Stodd is correct, Wildcat1 is a WW2 veteren wildcat / hellcat pilot. I'm sure he has some very interesting stories to tell.
I also feel bad about the way he is treated online. It seems the younger gen. has no respect any more.

I agree, Grave. Hopefully a real war vet can find it funny when a squeaker calls out their tactics or flying style. It is always pointless to take offence at the voice of total ignorance.

[cegull]

I have had several friends who were WW2 vets.  In general they would only speak about their experiences on their own terms when they felt like it.  They would bring the subject up at times but asking about war stuff could indeed be very painful for them.  I learned not to talk about it unless they brought it up.  I was fortunate in my own military service to not have been shot at or have to shoot at somebody else.  I was attached to the hospital squadron and saw what war did to bodies and minds.  That's as close as I would ever want to be to war.

[33Vortex]

I was attached to the hospital squadron and saw what war did to bodies and minds.  That's as close as I would ever want to be to war.

+1


You either have to be ignorant, stupid or fanatic to support acts of war. Not surprisingly the majority of the global population fit into at least one of these categories, you sir do not and for that I congratulate you.

It's good to see people do value vets for who they really are and not the glorified image of them made up by the media. I met a woman today who as a teenager survived the siege and battle of Berlin. She grew up in that city... she said it took 10 years before she felt anywhere close to herself again and that it was still today very difficult for her to talk about some things, or even just think of them.

I can recommend Anthony Beevor's book on Berlin, the final battle.

Only the blind see the glory of war. What's a medal worth? A arm, a leg, your own or a comrade's life, or a dozen enemies, maybe two dozen? What's a medal worth?

It's just a piece of metal. Most ppl would think a guy's crazy saying such things, but I know some do understand and I care not for the opinions of the misinformed, or otherwise dilusional.

If you have any part in the making of this museum, please do not glorify the war or the men. None of them want to be glorified, or remembered as heros. They all have heros of their own, like a dead comrade or a nurse they never got to know the name of. If anything should be remembered, remember the dead the wounded and all the lives lost, the sacrifice and pain of the surviving.

Most people will never understand, because they rather believe the hollywood glorified image of war than look at reality and face up to it, and for that I hate them.

[macleod01]

+1

If you have any part in the making of this museum, please do not glorify the war or the men. None of them want to be glorified, or remembered as heros. They all have heros of their own, like a dead comrade or a nurse they never got to know the name of. If anything should be remembered, remember the dead the wounded and all the lives lost, the sacrifice and pain of the surviving.

Please, do not misconstrue my request for the Veterans tale as a Glory hunt. I would just like to hear from the men themselves, so I can hear their story, as they tell it, with nothing added, and nothing ment.

In no way do I think war is glorious. AS you said, only a fool would believe that. I would just like to hear the stories of the men

[33Vortex]

Yes I understood that and that can only be a good thing. Sometimes things are better left unsaid but whatever a WW2 vet wants to share is a treasure. Each story is unique and none less important than the other.

[Wagger]

I remember when I served with the 1/41 Inf.  We went to Germany in 1984 during REFORGER and were the first unit to draw the Bradley Fighting Vehicle from the POMCUS sites, Preposition supplies.  We were in the area of Braunscheig, FRG.  During the exercise we were positioning our vehicles in a tree line facing another town approximately 2,500 meters away.  After placing our vehicles an old gentleman came over and started talking to us.  It was a little hard to understand him because he spoke no English and we spoke very little German.  What  came out though is that he served in the German Army in a Panzer Grenadier unit.  He was telling us how watching us place our vehicles and how we brushed over our tracks marks to keep them from being visible from the air brought back many memories.  Even though we could not understand much of what he said he kept us company most of the day.  We showed him our vehicles and he was really surprised and interested in our Thermal sight system.  One of his comments was that he wished they had had them when they were fighting the Russians.  It was hard to see this kind old gentleman in the light of a hard bitten soldier.  It especially cast a different light the next day when he brought his grand daughter and son to see the vehicles and bring a pot of Goulash Soup for us to enjoy.  I miss those days in Gemany and the friends I made while there.

[BaldEagl]

I lived near Albany, NY for several years.  The destroyer escort USS Slater is moored there and the remaining crew would try to get together there each year.  I'm sure there are other similar reunions throughout the world.  It sounds like you'll need to do some research to find where they are and make some field trips.  Time is not on your side as these reunions get smaller each year.

[Frod]

Wildcat was the CO of Firepower, Inc. on the game when I was a squaddie.   One night he told me that he was a WWII pilot in RL.  He volunteered to tell me that he had 14 kills, 65 probable.   I gave him a <S> and he never mentioned anything else.  A man of few words, I think.   I haven't seen him on in quite a while, has anyone seen him?

[RufusLeaking]

Only the blind see the glory of war. What's a medal worth? A arm, a leg, your own or a comrade's life, or a dozen enemies, maybe two dozen? What's a medal worth?

It's just a piece of metal. Most ppl would think a guy's crazy saying such things, but I know some do understand and I care not for the opinions of the misinformed, or otherwise dilusional.

You are incorrect in the assumption that acts of bravery and sacrifice in the military are motivated by hope of receiving a medal.  Medals are for the command structure to acknowledge said acts. 

As a 2nd Lieutenant in a flying squadron, I had the additional duty of Awards and Decorations Officer.  My task was to do the paper work when the commander wanted to submit some one for a decoration.  I never saw the process used as an incentive.

I flew in support of Desert Shield/Storm.  I was never shot at, but I got close enough to see an occupied Kuwait City from the air.  A flight commander at the time, again, medals or decorations were never discussed.  The motivation that I witnessed was that no one wanted to let the rest down.  No one wanted to be the weak link to cause a mission to fail.  It is not glory that was sought, but the respect of one's peers.  And to get home in one piece.