Memorial day

[bobabode]

Originally Posted by BlueStreak

Maybe there was more to your Dads service that, for whatever reason, he kept to himself? War affects people in different ways.

Thanks Dave! Yep, most of those of the great generation are reticent about their service. I think that it has to do with not only what they may have experienced but also that there were so many that also served with them. It's rare to see any of them up and boast about anything. Growing up during the Great Depression had taught them many hard lessons and was a factor in their successes.
You didn't dare leave a morsel on your plate or waste anything around those guys and gals. I like to think that I am following in his footsteps but thank my lucky stars that I never had to follow them into war. Lucky I guess, I came of age in 1975 and they weren't hiring so thankfully I missed the boat I have to say.
Dad's gone to his reward several years ago and so far hasn't returned my calls from the great beyond. He related one experience delivering "the mail" as it were. He's driving a jeep through some beautiful Belgian or Luxemborg town at dawn and got turned around he said. They had almost sped through the little village that was all of two blocks long when the Wehrmacht started pouring out of the houses trying to pull their pants on while drilling Dad and the guy in the back of the jeep full of holes. The guy in the back was manning the .30 cal and shot at the German soldiers and they hit the dirt. Dad said he just put his head down and floored it. They rapidly put that little burg in the rear view mirror-turned a bend in the road and that was the end of it. He never said that was what he got any medal for. The family really had no idea of the Bronze Star until after he had passed away and the Bureau of Records search that I initiated came back snafu as the service records were gone in the fire.
I do have a wicked war trophy of his- it's a dress dagger from one of the Air Raid Service guys in Germany. Eagles and swastikas, I have to admit it's creepy and all but it's a relic of a failed doctrine named fascism who's like should never come to be again. When I see Americans embracing or glorifying the Third Reich my skin crawls and I'm disgusted but it is a free country. Just don't expect anything less than a brick if you march up my street waving swastikas.

[BlueStreak]

I hear ya, Bob. My parents didn't seem to like war very much, more so Mom than Pop. But, he did make me shut off "The Green Berets" one time. No explanation, "Shut that damn thing off! I'm sick and tired of Wayne and his phoney, flagwaiving BS."

Mom once sarcastically told me, "When you spend half your life watching perfectly good young men go off to war and come back broken, dismembered, screwed up in the head , dead or not at all, you get a little sick of it."

Dave

[BlueStreak]

You know.
For a few minutes, I just sat and stared at those names.
It truly is a shame we don't hear more about them.

Ten years ago, I thought it was wrong that our government didn't want "flag-draped coffins" in the media, and I still think so.

[d-ray657]

One of those young men is from my church.

Regards,

D-Ray

[bobabode]

Originally Posted by d-ray657

One of those young men is from my church.

Regards,

D-Ray

I'm sorry to hear that D. Please extend our condolences and heartfelt sorrow at their families loss. Tell them our flag is a half mast today.

There's a CSN song 'Find The Cost Of Freedom' that's ringing in my memory. I think I'll dig it out. Seems appropriate for this day.

[merrylander]

From time to time the PBS Newshour publishes the names of thhe brave young people who gave their lives in Afghanistan. Some so young that they really never had a chance to live, others that you know must leave behind wives and children. It will even make strong men weep.

[BlueStreak]

I drove my Sister to the VA Hospital in Richmond this morning. She's being checked out for an irregular heartbeat. Not surprising after having had no less than five open-heat surgeries.

Anyhow,

While sitting in the waiting area with a bunch of other veterans, we got to talking. Asking each other about where and when we served. Turns out there were two Navy guys besides myself and Sis, an Army Vietnam Vet and a Marine who served in Korea and Vietnam. We actually had a pretty good time talkin' about our experiences.

When I got back to the car, and I was alone.......I cried. Because the older gentleman spoke of a fellow Marine he lost in an accident after surviving both wars.

See, in 1983 when serving aboard the USS Coral Sea, a small group of us were headed across the flightdeck at the fantail to do some troubleshoting on one of the F4 Phantoms, as an A7 swung its tail around at us. Now, the jet blast coming from the tail end of an A7 is quite strong, even at idle. The pilot goosed it a bit to roll forward after the turn. When this occurs, you kneel, cover your face, grab ahold of a padeye and hold on tight.

Behind me was a young Philipino kid we called "Aggie", which was a shortened version of his name which none of us could pronounce. Aggie was a good man, a hard worker and an excellent mechanic.

To get to the point,

When the jet blast faded and we all stood up and I turned to speak to Aggie and he was gone. The A7 had blown him overboard and into the ships prop wash. At the time, we were just west of the Aleutians and the water was very cold. By the time the alert helicopter crew located and plucked him out of the water, he was dead. A combination of the propwash sucking him under and hypothermia meant he never stood a chance.

Fair winds and following seas, Aggie!

You are not forgotten.

Dave

[piece-itpete]

I'll be truthful. Using a Memorial Day thread for shilling is a new low for spammers. And that's pretty bad. I'd wish a pox on your firstborn but suspect they've already got it bad enough.

Pete

[CarlV]

Jive Turkey mofo!


Carl

[bobabode]

Originally Posted by CarlV

Jive Smoked Turkey with avocado, mofo!


Carl

Fixed it for you CarlV