Posted on 09/03/2015 4:59:55 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson
I second your remarks.
An intensely interesting post, Homer.
As you might have noticed from my postings throughout many months I love the personal and family stories most. How they were effected. Their real experiences.
While my forebears were involved in America’s wars going all the way back to the first conflicts with the Indians in Tidewater Virginia, and in Massachusetts, and elsewhere, and in the Revolution, the War of 1812, and the Civil War, my immediate family landed between generations in World Wars I and II. One of my grandfathers was in his forties in the Forties, and died very young, during the war. The other was a married man in his thirties with children and a farm. As such, it was unlikely he was ever going to war. My dad was born in ‘32, so he was only a young teen during the war. He ended up serving in Korea.
The only family member that served was my great uncle Jim, who married my great aunt on my Dad’s side. He served throughout the North African campaign, Sicily, and the horrendous, long and bloody fight up through Italy. He only talked with me once about it, and that was without much detail. He did make it clear to me that it was at times a living hell, though.
Just curious, but I don't see a Purple Heart ribbon. Surely that gave your father that medal?
The Band of Brothers episode, “Why We Fight” was the one where Easy Company discovers a concentration camp. I’m not sure what that means, maybe time changed perspectives?
I’m almost certain my mother had the Purple Heart ribbon and the medal, too. My aunt, his sister, told me he also had one of the medals for performance above and beyond, but didn’t know which one. They were both lost over the years.
I wonder about the issuance of Purple Hearts sometimes. My dad was wounded in Korea in close combat, apparently. I saw the bayonet wound on the back of his leg, from his heel to the back of his knee. But I’ve never seen any evidence that he received any medal for that.
I’ll never know the truth of it, probably. He passed in ‘98.
Should have asked him more while he was here, I suppose.
I was going to suggest you get a copy of your dad’s DD 214, but was his file destroyed in the great personnel records fire back in the 1970’s?
Yes, I’m afraid very few WWII records escaped the flames. That has to be the biggest disaster in the history of U.S. historical archives.
Thanks very much for the wrap-up. Was your uncle your father’s brother? Different last names.
No. Uncle was mother’s younger brother.
That explains it. They kind of favor one another anyway.
My father arrives as Sasebo in about two months for a few week stay after sweeping mines in the Formosa Strait.
This thread series as been a wonderful connection for us both as he related some stories about his time there that I’d never heard before.
We also looked at google images and he recalled several sights including the Catholic church at Sasebo and a large pagoda structure on a bluff at the harbor entrance, both are still there today.
He also related a story that one night all hell broke loose among the fleet in the harbor as some diehard japs were running around in a speed boat tossing hand grenades.
Thanks for sharing that. Perhaps your Dad and my Dad rubbed elbows somewhere in Japan.
Dad was in the initial Occupation of Japan. He had a similar story of Japs going crazy and jumping into the moat that surrounded part of the Imperial Palace.
Thanks, Homer. Having followed your dad’s story, and your uncle’s, it’s nice to get the ending. It also finishes providing an understanding of your motivation for contributing so may hundreds—or thousands—of your hours to this epic project.
Wonder if the deactivated 381st was rolled into reactivation into one of my 381st SAC Missile Wings at McConnell AFB Kansas ....
http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/agency/381mw.htm
Grateful for the read Homer....thank you.
Amazing, as always.
Homer, thanks again for all of your hard work and dedication to this project. I know it was a labor of love for you, and you have my deepest gratitude for sharing your work with fellow FReepers.
I can’t tell you how much I have enjoyed your work. Thank you.
Quite a few went home to suffer a variety of vague maladies resembling auto-immune responses and ultimately succumb to the condition. What they actually had was probably a parasitic infection.
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