My Father’s War Stories, Shared to Honor Veterans

Bob McCarty Writes ^ | 11-06-09 | Bob McCarty

[BobMcCartyWrites]

On the occasion of Veterans Day 2009, I pay honor to those who’ve served and/or paid the ultimate price in service to their country by publishing a series of war stories that holds a special value in my heart, because they were written by my father, Ted.

[BobMcCartyWrites]

On the occasion of Veterans Day 2009, I pay honor to those who’ve served and/or paid the ultimate price in service to their country by publishing a series of war stories that holds a special value in my heart, because they were written by my father, Ted.

He served as a low-ranking enlisted man in the U.S. Army during World War II, and the stories appear in his 1992 autobiography, Some Events in One Life: Mine!

Please know he captured these stories as a means to provide his children and theirs context for his participation in one of history’s most harrowing events, World War II, not for any commercial gain.

Links to each of the installments, 12 in all, appear below:

My Father’s War Stories From World War II — Part One

My Father’s War Stories From World War II — Part Two

My Father’s War Stories From World War II — Part Three

My Father’s War Stories From World War II — Part Four

My Father’s War Stories From World War II — Part Five

My Father’s War Stories From World War II — Part Six

My Father’s War Stories From World War II — Part Seven

My Father’s War Stories From World War II — Part Eight

My Father’s War Stories From World War II — Part Nine

My Father’s War Stories From World War II — Part Ten

My Father’s War Stories From World War II — Part Eleven

My Father’s War Stories From World War II — Part Twelve

[Natural Law]

I never knew of my father’s exploits in WWII until his funeral. His brothers and boyhood friends shared them with me over a glass or six. I was surprised to learn that as an 17 and 18 year old my father had earned two purple hearts and a silver star, and had once been reported as missing in action and presumed dead (I saw the telegram from the War Dept.) He drove landing craft in the Pacific. He never spoke about his own experiences or accomplishments because he always felt that his contributions were insignificant and his medals were not deserved because of the bravery and sacrifice he saw so common in the men and boys he delivered to the beaches and whose broken bodies he returned to the ships.

[CrazyIvan]

Your father is not unique. And I mean that in the “uncommon valor was a common virtue” interpretation. A couple of years ago I was visiting a friend in his family business and
looked into his fathers office. On the wall was his “Lucky Bastard” certificate. 25 missions over Germany as a tail gunner. When asked about it he said that his wife had run across it and had it framed for him recently and he didn’t want to hurt her feelings by not displaying it. I never even knew that he had served. We owe these men more than we will ever be able to repay.