Posted on 06/02/2019 7:59:07 AM PDT by Auntie Mame
In the summer of 1992, my family gathered in central Minnesota for my grandfather’s 70th birthday. We were there to celebrate William J. Svrluga Sr. — father, golfer, husband, engineer, grandfather, Cubs fan, cheapskate, retiree. Seven of us joined in the celebration: Bill Sr.’s wife, Ruth, my grandmother; his two sons, my father, Bill Jr., and my uncle Dick; their wives; my younger brother, Brad, and me.
At one point, maybe between the walleye and the turtle cheesecake, the conversation hit a lull. Uncle Dick filled it. “Okay, Dad,” he asked. “What are you most proud of in your life?” I think I half expected my grandfather to say the time he shot even-par 72. What could be better than that? This was chitchat, brag-about-the-family stuff, set up on a tee. Instead, he knocked us over with his response. “D-Day,” he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
https://www.stripes.com/my-grandfather-s-secret-d-day-journal-1.583760
A link to the Stars & Stripes, for those of us who don’t wish to give the Washington Post any hits.
ping
My Grandfathers Secret D-Day Journal
If you have viewed the Charlotte Observer too many times, you may not be able to access it for free.
Thank you.
The answer is: Because he was a true hero.
My Uncle, a maverick who retired as a full bird, served in three wars. I never knew much regarding his exploits until he was well into '70's.
'War stories are told by the drunks at the end of the bar.' - was one thing he said.
Wow. Just wow.
Thanks.
L
“If you read nothing else today, read this.”
Yes, that was good!
As a wife and mother, I was saddened reading about what he went through......his sweet letters to his wife......and her betrayal of him with another man, plus a pregnancy not his
How did he get past this?
Cinema cannot duplicate what D Day was like......although Saving Private Ryan may have come close
I left the theater for a few minutes in tears during the opening scene
My uncle was there, 1st wave at Omaha beach. I got to hear him tell some of his stories about that day. It was enthralling! I got to shake his hand and say thank you for what you did. He teared up and shook his head in acknowledgment. He fought in the Hurtgene Forrest, the Bulge and all the way deep into Eastern Europe. He died at age 94 six months ago.
There is a tendency to think of D Day in terms of the infantry hitting the beach and paratroopers. With the scale and complexity of Operation Overlord it would be impossible to imagine how many tales of this nature are untold and will be lost.
Many who've survived battle place any value on their medals.
That was great
I had a student who brought in her grandfather’s war diary. He served on USS Bennington—a carrier. The family found it hard to read his handwriting and didn’t understand some of what he wrote. (Being a jr high teacher, I found reading his handwriting pretty easy.) Anyway, I copied the whole thing on my computer, added pictures of planes, etc. and explained what a ‘Betty’ or a ‘Zeke’ was.
Fascinating read. Bennington was part of the Okinawa invasion (April 1, Easter Sunday/April Fools Day/codenamed Love Day). At first he spelled the name of the island phonetically, but as time wore on, he ended with the correct spelling. His diary also reflects what everyone thought the invasion would be like, over in a week or so, and then dragging out to months. He also described kamikaze attacks (his regular job was storekeeper, but his battle station job was as a talker, relaying orders, “hit the deck” he relayed.
Fun fact. Bennington at one point hit a whale and had to reverse engines to free it from the bow.
Thank you!
The Army wouldn't take my Dad...bad heart valve,which they were finally able to replace when he was 60.But he did his bit...he helped design,build and test missiles for the Navy during the war.
Your comment reminded me of an experience I had a few years ago at the WWII Memorial in DC.It was cold day,rainy day so there weren't many people there.However,there was an old man,wearing a Marine Corps "WWII & Korea" baseball cap,being wheeled around by a man who was very probably his son.I'll never forget seeing the tears in that old Marine's eyes.I wanted to approach him but decided not to...I feared that doing so would be an intrusion.
I'll never forget it!
Bless him!
The article didn’t say what sort of nightly mission they were doing on the French coast in the month before D-Day.
Thanks for that alternate link.
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