Political Forums  

Go Back   Political Forums > Current events

We appreciate your help

in keeping this site going.
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #21  
Old 05-28-2012, 05:48 AM
wgrr's Avatar
wgrr wgrr is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 1,252
Quote:
Originally Posted by whell View Post
I always think of Dad on Memorial Day. Just a 19 year old kid, the Navy assigned him to a an LCI (Landing Craft Infantry) as an Electrician's Mate in the Pacific during WWII. They then sent him off to support Marine landings on nasty battle fronts like Tinian, Peleliu, and Saipan. He never spoke about those days much, but when he did, you knew that its was the stuff nightmares are made of.

Greatest generation? Absolutely. Miss you Dad!
I am sure he had a lot in common with my wifes stepfather. He was a Marine communications tech. He survived all the major Pacific battles. The only thing he ever said about those years was that the Marines involved with communications were always the first in and the last out. Sadly he passed away ten years ago.
Reply With Quote
  #22  
Old 05-28-2012, 07:03 AM
wgrr's Avatar
wgrr wgrr is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 1,252
My namesake, Captain Gordon, of the 72nd Pennsylvania Regiment died at the Battle of Pea Ridge, Arkansas during the Civil War. Kind of odd that we were both born in Philadelphia and ended up in NW Arkansas. My situation is much better than his was though.

My grandfather was an infantry grunt in France during WWI. My father was almost legally blind, but had excellent close vision. So he was put to work calibrating Norton bomb sights during WWII. My father in law was a Naval aviator and retired a Commander. Two of my Uncles were Korean vets and were both high ranking officers, one a General the other a full bird Colonel.

Colonel Phillips was the most interesting one of the group. He was a test pilot at Edwards AFB in the late 50,s and 60's. He wanted to be in the Mercury astronaut program but he was 6'1" and the cut off was 6'. He did get his astronaut pin though. He was a test pilot in the SR71 Blackbird development program at the Lockheed Martin Skunk Works.

My Brother is a retired US Army Airborne Ranger. He served in Granada, Panama, and the first Gulf War.

I have never served in the military. I was kind of an idiot for not joining the Air Force after college like my uncles wanted me to. I am sure I would be retired by now with a hefty pension and some of the good old Soci@listic VA healthcare. I just did not have the stomach to join. Vietnam ended the year I graduated from High School. That war left some really bad tastes in peoples mouths.

My wife and I will be visiting the National Cemetery here today to put a flag on my father in laws grave.

These are the soldiers we really need to remember. They died last week in Afghanistan.

US Army Sgt Michael J Knapp, 28, Overland, KS
US Marines Sgt Jabraun S Knox, 23, Fort Wayne, IN
US Army Cpt Jesse A Ozbat, 28, Prince George, VA
US Army 2LT Tobias C Alexander, 30, Lawton, OK
US Army SPC Samuel T Watts, 20, Wheaton, IL
US Army SPC Arronn D Fields, 27, Terre Haute, IN
US Army 2LT Travis A Morgado, 25, San Jose, CA
US Army PFC Cale C Miller, 23, Overland Park, KS
US Marines Cpl Keaton G Coffey, 22, Boring, OR

According to iCasualties, the total number of allied service members killed in Afghanistan is now 3,016.
Reply With Quote
  #23  
Old 05-28-2012, 02:23 PM
BlueStreak's Avatar
BlueStreak BlueStreak is offline
Area Man
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: The Swamp
Posts: 27,407
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.
__________________
"When the lie is so big and the fog so thick, the Republican trick can play out again....."-------Frank Zappa
Reply With Quote
  #24  
Old 05-28-2012, 02:40 PM
d-ray657's Avatar
d-ray657 d-ray657 is offline
Loyal Opposition
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Johnson County, Kansas
Posts: 14,401
One of those young men is from my church.

Regards,

D-Ray
__________________
Then I'll get on my knees and pray,
We won't get fooled again; Don't get fooled again
Reply With Quote
  #25  
Old 05-28-2012, 06:00 PM
bobabode's Avatar
bobabode bobabode is offline
Admin
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Behind the Orange Curtain in California
Posts: 37,188
Quote:
Originally Posted by d-ray657 View Post
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.
__________________
I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.
- Mr. Underhill
Reply With Quote
  #26  
Old 05-28-2012, 09:21 PM
bobabode's Avatar
bobabode bobabode is offline
Admin
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Behind the Orange Curtain in California
Posts: 37,188
Here's nice ending to a tragic story. Missing Corsair pilot's fate in Rabaul, New Guinea during WW2 is told to his family. RIP Mr. Zanger, you aren't forgotten.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la...,3053696.story
__________________
I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.
- Mr. Underhill
Reply With Quote
  #27  
Old 05-28-2012, 09:40 PM
Zeke's Avatar
Zeke Zeke is offline
Sir Lord Vader of Cheam
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Lewiston, ID
Posts: 5,065
Send a message via Yahoo to Zeke
Quote:
Originally Posted by bobabode View Post
Here's nice ending to a tragic story. Missing Corsair pilot's fate in Rabaul, New Guinea during WW2 is told to his family. RIP Mr. Zanger, you aren't forgotten.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la...,3053696.story
Outstanding.

The aircraft carrier my father was on during three Vietnam campaigns is a museum in NYC.

I don't discuss that stuff with my Dad, that's "his thing." (Nor do I share any ugliness I saw whilst carrying a badge. It's not comparable but the point is, if you weren't there, you don't get it.)

I've often wondered if he wanted to go but think to myself that, if he wanted to, he would.

These folks wanted to see and I am glad they found the Corsair.
__________________
"American" means calling everyone who disagrees with you a traitor?
Reply With Quote
  #28  
Old 05-28-2012, 10:15 PM
BlueStreak's Avatar
BlueStreak BlueStreak is offline
Area Man
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: The Swamp
Posts: 27,407
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zeke View Post
Outstanding.

The aircraft carrier my father was on during three Vietnam campaigns is a museum in NYC.

I don't discuss that stuff with my Dad, that's "his thing." (Nor do I share any ugliness I saw whilst carrying a badge. It's not comparable but the point is, if you weren't there, you don't get it.)

I've often wondered if he wanted to go but think to myself that, if he wanted to, he would.

These folks wanted to see and I am glad they found the Corsair.
One of the F-14s I used to work on is sitting on that ship.
__________________
"When the lie is so big and the fog so thick, the Republican trick can play out again....."-------Frank Zappa
Reply With Quote
  #29  
Old 05-29-2012, 07:30 AM
merrylander's Avatar
merrylander merrylander is offline
Resident octogenarian
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Maryland
Posts: 20,860
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.
__________________
Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss events; Small minds discuss people.
Eleanor Roosevelt
Reply With Quote
  #30  
Old 05-29-2012, 09:39 AM
BlueStreak's Avatar
BlueStreak BlueStreak is offline
Area Man
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: The Swamp
Posts: 27,407
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
__________________
"When the lie is so big and the fog so thick, the Republican trick can play out again....."-------Frank Zappa
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 07:46 AM.



Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.6
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.