SO WHAT DID YOUR PARENTS DO IN THE BIG WAR

On Sun, 04 Nov 2007 19:41:05 GMT, SHIVER ME TIMBERS
wrote:



How about your folks.....


Mom and Dad met at the Torpedo Station, Newport, RI.
Dad could not enlist because of bad eyes. So he made torpedoes
like his brother (WWI) and father. Mom quit the sewing mills and
joined the war effort running a milling machine. They were married
in 1949 and celebrated their 50th 9 months before Dad passed on.
Mom is 84 (ssh don't tell her I said so) and is still a sparkplug.

Dustoff wrote:
Also I forgot one of my uncles was in the south paciffic but have no idea
where or what they did, or what bracch he was in.. My Aunt's husbands
brother was in the Army Air Corp during the war I do have pictures where he
was stationed in Austrailia and New Guinea.


"Dustoff" wrote in message
...
"SHIVER ME TIMBERS" wrote in message
...
Well after watching the Ken Burns series THE WAR ad naseum ad naseum,
I thought I'd come into the group today with one of my curious questions.

What did your parents, family, etc. do in the big WWII.

Mine worked at the Canada Car foundry in what was then called
Fort William, Ontario.

They were inspectors helping to make Hawker Hurricanes and later other
types of figthers including the Curtis Helldiver.

How about your folks.....
My Father tried to enlist in the army, they rejected him because his right
forearm was about 3/4 inch shorter than his left forearm. That was due to
his right forearm had been broken when the saddle on the horse slipped and
he ended up under the horse and he fell out of the saddle and the horse
stepped on his right arm breaking it. The army doctors rejected him
because they believe that he would have problems pulling the trigger on
their rifles. He did however work for the war effort by getting a job
where they built PTO boats.



Dad enlisted in the Coast Guard in 1939 (IIRC), bootstrapped into the
C.G. Academy after Dec.7, serving mostly in the South Pacific on escort
duty on the Winnebago and the Taney. He was badly injured in an engine
room accident, but no combat injuries. Attained the rank of Lt jg. Mom
was a College student until they were married just before the end of the
war.

--
Heaven is where the police are British, the chefs Italian, the mechanics
German, the lovers French and it is all organized by the Swiss.

Hell is where the police are German, the chefs British, the mechanics
French, the lovers Swiss and it is all organized by Italians.

http://new.photos.yahoo.com/paul1cart/albums/

Guy wrote:

How about your folks.....


My father was forced by the fascist regime to fight in Africa and Balcans to
conquire the "empire" and , in the progess, he met also with a bullet in
the
chest. After 8-11-1943 he letf, and joined the resistance against the nazi
which had occupied Italy. He knew English language so he was given the radio
comunications with the Britts and Americans (whom we will never end to thank
for what they did) until the end of the war in april 45.He died in 1972.




A lot of thanks is due to those who worked the underground in Europe
during the war. Your post was truly inspiring.

JT

"Guy" wrote in message
...

How about your folks.....

My father was forced by the fascist regime to fight in Africa and Balcans
to
conquire the "empire" and , in the progess, he met also with a bullet in
the
chest. After 8-11-1943 he letf, and joined the resistance against the nazi
which had occupied Italy. He knew English language so he was given the
radio
comunications with the Britts and Americans (whom we will never end to
thank
for what they did) until the end of the war in april 45.He died in 1972.


My grandfather was sent by his family in Sicily to the US as skies were
darkening in Europe just prior to WW1. He was about 17 and entered through
Ellis Island. He rolled cigars in Tampa and farmed in Central Florida for a
living. After Pearl Harbor, when Dad tried to convince my grandfather to
allow him to enlist in the USAAC, my grandfather resisted angrily. He was
concerned that Dad may end up bombing Italy. Dad had seen newsreels at the
movies that convinced him that being drafted into the infantry was not for
him. My grandfather finally relented and Dad enlisted in the Air Corps.
Fortunately he was sent to England rather than Italy.

Also, Dad's cousin, who served aboard the USS New York BB-34, jokingly
refers to his job as "tailgunner". I have an uncle who served in the
Pacific aboard the Escort Carrier USS Tulagi CVE-72. Another uncle served in
the 3rd Army directly under Patton and participated in the Battle of the
Bulge. I'm trying to find out more about his service history. Dad's uncle
(Uncle Sam!) was an armorer at a P-38 base in England and he and Dad were
able to occasionally visit while in England.

Tony P.

"SHIVER ME TIMBERS" wrote in message
...
Well after watching the Ken Burns series THE WAR ad naseum ad naseum,
I thought I'd come into the group today with one of my curious questions.

What did your parents, family, etc. do in the big WWII.


Dad was orphaned when his father was killed at Esnes France (1914) within
days of getting there and his mother was killed getting off a tram so he
joined the Royal Tank Corps asap (1932) and spent time in the North West
Frontier of India as it was then.

On leaving the service (May 1938) he joined Manchester Fire Brigade.

He was recalled in December 1939 to the Royal Tank Corps but they found
out he was a fireman and transferred him to the Army Fire Service
which he was very unhappy about at the time (losing his beret).

He was Officer Commanding 151 Army Fire Company in North Africa in 1943,
then appointed Staff Captain (Fire) Algiers Sub District in 1944.

He was transferred to the Staff Pool at Allied Forces HQ C.M.F. (Italy) in
September 1944, promoted and moved to 15 Army Group to act as
Deputy to ADAFS then in 1945 he assumed command of Army Fire Services, CMF.
He was MID in May 1946 and was returned to the U.K. in August 1947.

On return he was appointed Command Fire Officer, Western Command and Officer
Commanding 852 Army Fire Company then In 1952 he was posted MELF as Chief
Inspector of Fire Services (Egypt, Cyprus, Malta). In January 1954 he
completed his service with H.M. Forces.

This has been gathered from his records as, like so many, he was reluctant
to say terribly much about WWII.

------------------------------

Reading other peoples replies and thinking of the numbers of people from so
many nations it concentrates the mind on the debt that everyone owes to
every single person involved, directly or indirectly.

It is also true that we continue to owe so many people who are still
operating to maintain our freedoms.

--
Andrew

"Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible."
(Lord Kelvin, president, Royal Society, 1895.)

"Leonard Oglesby" lencsgt@{NO SPAM}lightspeed.net wrote in message
news:2007110518173643658-lencsgt@NOSPAMlightspeednet...
On 2007-11-04 21:18:55 -0800, Leonard Oglesby lencsgt@{NO
SPAM}lightspeed.net said:


On 2007-11-04 11:41:05 -0800, SHIVER ME TIMBERS
said:

Well after watching the Ken Burns series THE WAR ad naseum ad naseum, I
thought I'd come into the group today with one of my curious questions.

What did your parents, family, etc. do in the big WWII.

Mine worked at the Canada Car foundry in what was then called Fort
William, Ontario.

They were inspectors helping to make Hawker Hurricanes and later other
types of figthers including the Curtis Helldiver.

How about your folks.....

My father flew P-47s and P-38s in the SW Pacific, New Guinea, Leyte,
Linguyan, Okinawa with the 9th FS, 49th Fighter Group, 5th Air Force
1943-1945.

On August 21, 1945 Dad flew as part of the P38 escort for the
"Surrender" Betties on their return flight from Ie Shima back to Kyushu.
He was also a member of the Honor Guard flight which flew into Japan on
August 29 1945 prior to the signing of the Surrender documents on the
USS Missouri on September 2, 1945, Making the 9th Fighter Squadron of
the 49th Fighter Group the first USAAF tactical unit to land on Japan.

Here is a piece from the 9th Fighter Squadron History, "The Flying
Knights";

"On Wednesday, 29 August, twenty-five airplanes received
preliminary loading of C-rations, cots, blankets, and pilots'
clothes. At first sixteen planes were to make the trip as the
honor squadron then the number was upped to twenty-five,
and finally down to eight. The eight oldest pilots in the
squadron, all veterans of the Leyte Campaign and two
second tour boys form Gusap, took off with a four plane
additional escort at 1200 hours, 30 August 1945. Major
Petrovich, squadron C.O., led the flight with Lt. Corley flying
his wing. S/Sgt. Serapin was riding piggy-back in Corley's
ship. Lt. Oglesby, veteran of 150 missions and 400 combat
hours with four Nips to his credit and then on his second
tour of duty flew Red Flight Element. Lt. Gribble, veteran of
the Leyte scrap, flew number four. Captain Howes, with over
598 combat hours and four Nips destroyed in aerial combat
under his belt led White Flight with Captain Clark flying his
wing. Lt. Poston, who returned to combat with Oglesby
when stateside flying proved too dull, led White Flight
Element with Lt. Smith, back just south of Kyushu and the
eight original planes winged on thru a clear sky, though
thunderheads and towering cumulus hovered over the
mountains to the west. Three and one-half hours out,
towering Fujiyama became visible through the haze ahead,
its top hidden in clouds, as the flat, green plains of the
Atsumu-Hanto peninsula passed under the left wing. The
flights landed at Atsugi Airstrip, southeast of Tokyo, at 1615
hours and were parked by Colonel Gerald Johnson, former
group commander, then operations officer of the first
American airstrip in Japan, in a grassy field just north of the
strip.
A Jap truck, drive by an American GI, drove up and the
baggage and personnel loaded aboard. The truck drove past
a number of "Jacks" in apparently good condition, past the
partially damaged hangars housing 11th Airborne personnel,
and in a few minutes, pulled up in front of an unpainted,
two-story, wooden barracks building that served as
headquarters for the 63rd Service Squadron. A few minutes
later the pilots were stowing their gear in two-men rooms of
a similar wooden structure not far away, one of a row of GI
barracks very like the American version. A few differences
could be noted upon inspection, mainly in toilet and bathing
facilities. The oriental version of a latrine provided no
support to the user and the shower bath was replaced by the
community pool, complete with round wooden buckets and
stools on which the bather sat while dipping water from the
cement hot water tanks on the side. All furniture, desks,
mirror heights, etc., were scaled to the shorter oriental
stature.
The Japanese had provided a mess hall, which was to operate
until V-J Day, equipped with white linen table cloths,
chinaware and floral centerpieces. Polite, if non-committal
Japanese waiters served the dinner, consisting of soup, cold
plate meat and fish, potatoes, peas and one quart of Japanese
beer per man. The beer, very much like Australian brew, was
excellent.
Thus it was; the senior pilots of the "Flying Knights" moved
in one month from the peaceful shores of Lingayen to the
midst of the turmoil of occupying the heart of Japan, 1,800
miles to the north. So far as was known at the time, the outfit
had flown its last combat mission of the war, suitable
enough arriving in the van at the enemy capital."



--
ð¹


My Dad was too young for WWII service as he's 74 this past October 16th, but
he can remember them announcing Pearl Harbor in the newspaper and on the
radio. My Mom doesn't remember it much at all as she was raised on a very
small farm about 15 minutes from where I currently reside in Kentucky. I
have an Uncle was a medic in a field hospital somewhere in New Guinea
though. My Grandfather was a "track watcher" for the local railroad keeping
an eye out for sabotage, while my Grandmother was busy trying to raise 13
kids. Guess you could say when Granpappy wasn't watchin' the tracks, he was
watchin' Granmammy have another kid. LOL

--
Lonnie


*Photo Attached:

Specialist 4th Class James R. Potter
United States Army (1954-1956)
Basic Training at Ft. Knox, KY
Overseas Assignment to Pirmasens, Germany
MOS: Field Wireman/Pole Line Construction

****Note: In 1989, I used to operate radios off the antennae he helped
erect back in the mid 50's. Wow!!!

Dustoff, I would like to see if my Uncle would be in some of those photos if
you could scan them and post them.

Thanks,

Lonnie

"Dustoff" wrote in message
...
Also I forgot one of my uncles was in the south paciffic but have no idea
where or what they did, or what bracch he was in.. My Aunt's husbands
brother was in the Army Air Corp during the war I do have pictures where
he was stationed in Austrailia and New Guinea.


"Dustoff" wrote in message
...

"SHIVER ME TIMBERS" wrote in message
...
Well after watching the Ken Burns series THE WAR ad naseum ad naseum,
I thought I'd come into the group today with one of my curious
questions.

What did your parents, family, etc. do in the big WWII.

Mine worked at the Canada Car foundry in what was then called
Fort William, Ontario.

They were inspectors helping to make Hawker Hurricanes and later other
types of figthers including the Curtis Helldiver.

How about your folks.....

My Father tried to enlist in the army, they rejected him because his
right forearm was about 3/4 inch shorter than his left forearm. That was
due to his right forearm had been broken when the saddle on the horse
slipped and he ended up under the horse and he fell out of the saddle and
the horse stepped on his right arm breaking it. The army doctors
rejected him because they believe that he would have problems pulling the
trigger on their rifles. He did however work for the war effort by
getting a job where they built PTO boats.

In memory of one other veteran, my Baby Brother, Billy, who never even
graduated US Navy boot camp, but got an honorable discharge. I don't know
how, but I have seen his DD-214 and his certificate.

Lonnie

"Andrew B" wrote in message
om...

"SHIVER ME TIMBERS" wrote in message
...
Well after watching the Ken Burns series THE WAR ad naseum ad naseum,
I thought I'd come into the group today with one of my curious questions.

What did your parents, family, etc. do in the big WWII.


Dad was orphaned when his father was killed at Esnes France (1914) within
days of getting there and his mother was killed getting off a tram so he
joined the Royal Tank Corps asap (1932) and spent time in the North West
Frontier of India as it was then.

On leaving the service (May 1938) he joined Manchester Fire Brigade.

He was recalled in December 1939 to the Royal Tank Corps but they found
out he was a fireman and transferred him to the Army Fire Service
which he was very unhappy about at the time (losing his beret).

He was Officer Commanding 151 Army Fire Company in North Africa in 1943,
then appointed Staff Captain (Fire) Algiers Sub District in 1944.

He was transferred to the Staff Pool at Allied Forces HQ C.M.F. (Italy) in
September 1944, promoted and moved to 15 Army Group to act as
Deputy to ADAFS then in 1945 he assumed command of Army Fire Services,
CMF.
He was MID in May 1946 and was returned to the U.K. in August 1947.

On return he was appointed Command Fire Officer, Western Command and
Officer
Commanding 852 Army Fire Company then In 1952 he was posted MELF as Chief
Inspector of Fire Services (Egypt, Cyprus, Malta). In January 1954 he
completed his service with H.M. Forces.

This has been gathered from his records as, like so many, he was reluctant
to say terribly much about WWII.

------------------------------

Reading other peoples replies and thinking of the numbers of people from
so
many nations it concentrates the mind on the debt that everyone owes to
every single person involved, directly or indirectly.

It is also true that we continue to owe so many people who are still
operating to maintain our freedoms.

--
Andrew

"Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible."
(Lord Kelvin, president, Royal Society, 1895.)

Very interesting question !

I made a little study in France, answering this question a few decades
ago to my school collegues.
And surprisingly, the major part of them answered that their parents
were in the resistance !
Several very serious studies were made about the french population
during the WWII and all of them describe a population with 5%
resistants, 5% collaborationists and 90% of population without
enlisting who just went on their occupation.
I conclude that in all ways people takes the honor and the heroism of
the winners despite it has done nothing !

My parents were born during WWII. On my mother's side, my grand moyher
was innoccupied and my grand father was working in the railway french
national company. He worked in the way of the Vichy Government during
the main part of the WWII and enlisted the resistance in the very end
of the war. The Wehrmacht occupied their house between 1942 and 1944
and left rapidly when the allied landed in the South of France.
On my father's side my grand mother and my grand father were miner at
the pitface in the north-east of France.

--
---------------------
RVB -
http://www.cocardes.com .....aviation
http://www.hervebrun.com .....photo
;-)

"Peavey_HP_Signature_Guy" wrote in message
...
"SHIVER ME TIMBERS" wrote in message
...
Well after watching the Ken Burns series THE WAR ad naseum ad naseum,
I thought I'd come into the group today with one of my curious questions.

What did your parents, family, etc. do in the big WWII.

Mine worked at the Canada Car foundry in what was then called
Fort William, Ontario.

They were inspectors helping to make Hawker Hurricanes and later other
types of figthers including the Curtis Helldiver.

How about your folks.....

My Grandfather on my Dad's side was a US Army RN in France.

My Grandfather on my Mom's side was a US Navy gunner on a destroyer
stationed at Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked. His ship was 30
minutes out of Pearl when they saw the Japanese formations and fired on
them. Unfortunately, too far out of range for them to get any hits : (.

My Wife's Grandmother on her Mom's side was a WASP and flew aircraft of
all types all over the US.

My Wife's Grandfather on her Dad's side was a US Army Lt Col and got a lot
of footage (film) of Guadalcanal (it is gory!). He did video (film??) as
a hobby and had his camera with him throughout. I know her family got the
film transferred to VHS but we do not have a copy but have one on request.

Do get the VHS transferred to DVD (or if possible from the original film).
Any digital format it is much more stable than VHS tape.
The original can be restored later with any one of a number of software
programs.

Cheers,
John