How far removed?

[HellsAce]

My Father dropped out of college in Jan.1941 and joined the U.S. ARMY for a 1 year enlistment. He didn't get out until August 1945. He traveled all over the U.S. teaching various military courses.

[1stpar3]

Both of my grandfathers served in ww 2. My mothers father was navy,in south pacific. I know he was at Saipan, but rarely talked about it. When he did I always paid attention as it was a topic I knew not to ask about. He was bitter and always got his temper high. I do remember one specific item, When my father bought a Toyota Tercel  in 84'. Wow ! Talk about mad. He didn't talk much that trip. He got to a point in his life where he finally dealt with it and came to a forgiveness stage. Unfortunately all his navy records were lost in a fire at the Naval records area, so will never know why he had so much hatred. My fathers dad was pushed into the marine corps by his mother, as he didn't know how to swim. Funny too, as he ended up making every round trip on the USS Wakefield, a converted troop transport. It has a write up on Wikipedia that was very informative. In the Corps he met and fell in love with ICECREAM! To the point that he gained 30 pounds in basic. Grandma still laughs about not recognizing him at the bus stop when he came back to visit. The skinny boy from Kenna, West Virginia wasn't so skinny any more. He always said that at meals the boys from the city would want extra beans and potatoes as that was new for them, so he traded his for their ice cream.

[Reaper90]

I wish I knew more about my grandfather on my mother's side, he died a few months after I was born in 1971. His name was Wilbur Cail from Sylvania, GA. He dropped out of high school at the beginning of WWII and joined the army. Neither my mother nor my uncle know much about their dad's time in the war a they weren't born until years after the war, other than he suffered a bad wound,  shot in the chest, somewhere in Europe, and spent quite a while in a hospital, then served the rest of his time during the war in Panama, supposedly "guarding the canal." According to mom and my uncle, he refused to ever speak of the war or anything he did. All they knew of it were his scars. When he returned home, he went back and finished high school, and spent his life selling insurance and running a barber shop, and drinking. That finally got him in 1972. The only thing anyone has from his service to my knowledge is my uncle has his bayonet.

There's not a day that goes by that I don't wish I knew more about him.

[Zodiac]

My paternal Grandfather served in the infantry in Europe, where he was seriously wounded in France. Two of my paternal Grandmother's brothers (My Great-Uncles) served in the Navy during WW2, one of them was stationed at Pearl Harbor during the attack. Have tried researching in the past and found it to be quite a trick  . Perhaps it's time to look into again.

[SmokinLoon]

Maternal grandfather flew B24's in the south PTO. (read sig line).  Lt. Col. Darrell M. "Bud" Gray. Charles City, IA.

Paternal grandfather was a courier in the ETO (jeep jockey) in an artillery unit, he routinely ran officers, mail, supplies, and wounded to and fro the front lines.  Tech Sgt. Robert W. Bennett. Hinton, IA.

My paternal grandmother's brother (my great uncle), flew B24's in the PTO.  He flew 26 combat missions then rotated home and flew B24's and B25's with experimental engines in them.  Cpt. Ralph Oliver Brown. Hinton, IA.

My wife's maternal grandfather was a naval aviator instructor, I'm not sure where exactly he taught flying for the US Navy.  Either TX or FL, his records say both.  I had the chance to speak with him multiple times before he passed away.  btw... his favorite plane to fly was the F4F, for being the "most stable and forgiving".  Lt Theodore Davis. Sioux City, IA.

My grandfather's cousin, Sgt. Earl Hannum, at Wake Island when the Japanese invaded.  Earl was smaller in build, yet as feisty and cocky as could be.  He was always fighting with other men. He would put up with no one's gruff, including the Japanese. The survivors of Wake said that Earl was the most belligerent of all the prisoners and there is a reason he was taken to the deck of the prisoner ship and beheaded.  His story is told here: http://missingmarines.com/2011/12/29/master-technical-sergeant-earl-raymond-hannum/

   

[BaldEagl]

I was hesitant to start this thread.  I'm glad I did.

Inspiring, enlightning, touching and sad, these stories have had it all.  I've really enjoyed reading them so far.  Keep them coming.

to the greatest generation and all they did to ensure our freedom (and to those from the other side who had no choice but to fight).

[captain1ma]

my grandfather was a infantryman with the wehrmacht. he ended up on the russian front and spend the next 11 years after the war in a russian prison camp. fed 2 slices of bread a day. sometimes was given to them.  cooking grease was a luxury to them, to put on the bread. the russians used to toss hand granades at them for sport, because they hated the germans so much. my grandfather had several peaces of sharpnel in his body, till the day he died.
my great uncles were also in the infantry. both were killed. one was hit square in the chest by artillery shell from a tank. theres wasnt much left. the other uncle was killed in action with no further information. 

[FLOOB]

My uncle was a b17 pilot. On many missions he served as the tailgunner-observer on the pathfinder plane. That's what he was doing on this particular mission when the pilot peed in the general's face. On another mission he came forward to gather blankets and flack shredded the TG position. Luck never put him in the same place and time as projectiles, be it urine or flack.

http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/245.pdf

Also have a great uncle who played in the snow at Bastogne.

[FLOOB]

You know it's funny, almost all of the mission reports state "no enemy aircraft encountered", In fact I have yet to read a mission report from the 359th that mentions getting attacked by fighters. Yet on some missions they expend thousands of rounds of ammo, and on other missions none. Notice on the mission report I posted a link to they fired 7,220 rounds of ammo, yet it states no enemy aircraft were encountered. Also notice it says they had no fighter escort on the way to the target. 

[SB]

My dad just missed WWII but still enlisted in the Navy in 1946. He spent the next two years on the USS Antietam, CV-36, in the Pacific running the print shop.

He had two older brothers that served. My uncle Henry died jumping into France during the European invasion. My uncle Paul was a Ranger in the Pacific and I was told he made the Okinawa landing. He didn't talk about his service much so that's about all I know.

SB

[jeffdn]

You know it's funny, almost all of the mission reports state "no enemy aircraft encountered", In fact I have yet to read a mission report from the 359th that mentions getting attacked by fighters. Yet on some missions they expend thousands of rounds of ammo, and on other missions none. Notice on the mission report I posted a link to they fired 7,220 rounds of ammo, yet it states no enemy aircraft were encountered. Also notice it says they had no fighter escort on the way to the target. 

Each plane had what, thirteen guns? And when they entered enemy territory, they'd clear and test fire the guns to make sure they weren't jammed. Might account for it.

[BFOOT1]

My grandfather Robert Brown (dads) served with the 29th Infantry Division on D-Day, he fought with the 29th I.D. until after the capture of St. Lo when he was transferred to the 90th I.D. He fought in the Falaise Pocket, and he served with 90th under Patton (I think) until the end of the war. He was present at the liberation of the Flossenburg Concentration Camp, and he told me that it was the most pitiful thing he's ever saw in his life. He told plenty of stories of his time in the war which I could tell you guys if you want. He did pass away last summer at the age of 90.

My great great uncle (dad) served on Iwo Jima with the 28th Marines, where we was wounded on March 24, during the final banzai charge, he was wounded by rifle fire in his right shoulder and took grenade fragments in his right leg. He would be awarded the silver star for continuing his fight after being wounded. He was open about Iwo Jima, and after hearing some of his stories it was hard to believe he survived.

My great great uncle (mom) served in North Africa, Sicily, and Italy with the 3rd Infantry Division. He fought alongside Audie Murphy, and was awarded two Bronze Stars.
 

[TOMCAT21]

My dad served in the Army ( 1944-1946 ). He joined at 17 ( lied about his age ) and fought in the Battle of the Bulge. His older brother was a navigator  on a B-24.

[AAJagerX]

My grandfather served as a .50 Jeep crew Sgt. in England and then France.  He was in the 3rd (I believe) wave at Omaha beach after originally being tasked to Pointe du Hoc.  After being in France for some time, he ended up driving one of Eisenhower's Jeeps (MSgt) before the end of the War.  My dad has some really cool pics/medals/orders/etc. that he saved in an old trunk for all these years.  I'll have to dig them out and do some posting.

[Skytrooper]

Lost my uncle Howard on 11 April 1945, in Germany. His Brother, my uncle Francis (Frank) served as a master sergeant with Merrills Marauders (China, Burma, India theatre). He survived the war and a VFW post was named after him. He passed away in the late 70's. I served in both the Navy and Army from which I retired after 28 years.
I have nothing but respect for those who currently serve and those that did serve.