It was truly a day I'll never forget.
Posted on 05/11/2012 5:01:45 PM PDT by Joe 6-pack
In an off line conversation with my FReeper lady friend, floralamiss, she mentioned to me that Joe Dimaggio had been her father's PT instructor during WWII. I indicated that my dad had served with Lt. George Steinbrenner at Lockbourne AFB in the 50's. When I was an ROTC Cadet, I did my advanced camp at Ft. Bragg, and then went on CTLT in Germany with Shawn Mullins.
Just curious how many other FReepers got to meet/know/serve with folks that later achieved some degree of fame (or notoriety) while in the military. Thought it might be a fun conversation topic for a Friday evening....
Frank Sutton had quite a distinguished military record in his own right, but in reality he was Army, not USMC.
Have you been to the WWII museum in Nimitz’s hometown of Federicksburg, Texas? The Japanese donated a garden to his memory.
Thanks, Joe, for starting this thread. Truly fascinating reading, inspirational, historical and one that leaves me awed.
I’ve known some who were near famous or who knew and worked with the famous and some who were, and still are, heroes.
I went through Army basic with Gen. Joe Stillwell’s grandson (or so we were told).
My college room-mate earned five Silver Stars with the 1st Infantry in VietNam. He now is battling chronic lymphocytic leukemia from Agent Orange exposure.
The first priest who helped me get my spiritual head on straight taught flying in WWII. Later, he was the pianist for Paul Whiteman’s vaudeville band. He told me that when Hope and Crosby were trying to make it [and were starving], Whitman’s band fed them. He told some fascinating stories about the “Borscht belt”.
Another priest friend used to, as he referred to it, “babysit” Norman Schwartzkopf when his father was stationed in Iran. At the time, he (my friend) was a state department diplomat serving the Ambassador to Iran.
Still another priest friend, a graduate of West Point and a line officer, was partially responsible for tactical nukes being placed in Europe. He later served as advisor to Secretaries of Defense and one president in particular and others, generally.
My uncle, for whom I was named was a Naval “Ace” in WWII. He served in Air campaigns over France and in the South Pacific on the USS Yorktown. He went MIA after volunteering for a mission just after returning from a first mission.
Celebrities? No, but certainly men of courage, loyalty and faith.
That is one of the places I want to go someday.
When I was 9=11 I lived in Yokosuka, Japan. There was a part of the base on the water where the fence went out into the water, and that was “off base”. Right on the other side of the fence was the Japanese Dreadnought “Mikasa”. I thought it was interesting, but not as interesting as the US Navy ships tied up at the piers that day.
I heard Nimitz played a major role in saving that ship from destruction.
Heh, that was also the spot I used to sneak off base, too, through a seam in the fence.
I remember being down there one time, and there was a large group of Japanese school kids my age, and we were lighting firecrackers and throwing them back and forth at each other.
I was trying to cook the firecrackers so that when I threw it it would blow up in the air instead of on the ground. I cooked one off too long and it blew up in my hand right next to my right ear as I cocked my arm to throw it!
It hurt like hell, and I think my ears ring from it to this day! They certainly rang that day.
Patton’s son was a jerk looking for spot in the shadow of his old man. Showboat and screamer. Ikmow cuz he screamed at me.
And I served as captains with Wesley Clark, who turned into a jerk later in life, eh?
Ugh. Weaselly Clark. What a damned embarrassment.
Was in Army Basic training at Fort Ord in May of 1966 with Phil Van Atter. Great guy. I see he died this past January of Cancer at age 70. He was the lead investigator on the Nicole Simpson, Ron Brown murder case. He was the officer who arrested Roman Polanski back in ‘77 for the affair with a thirteen year old also.
Last time I saw him was with his wife, and family at the Security Pass Gate to Knotts Berry Farm where I worked a short time in 1968. That would have been about six months after separation from active duty.
May he R.I.P.
I was a journalist in Vietnam in the Fall 1970, and got some great stories from various sources, including the late Don Rochlen (JUSPAO II). Don’t know if this is true or not, but it sounds great.
When John Wayne went to So. Vietnam to see the country before filming “The Green Berets” in the Philippines (visit confirmed to me by George “Sulu” Takei”), he was out with a group of American soldiers when what sounded like a sniper shot rang out.
Wayne (reportedly), grabbed an M16 and started spraying the nearby treeline.
No confirmation or photos that I know of but I still liked the sound of it. It WAS JOHN WAYNE.
Won’t even begin to list other noted journalists who hated CBS newsmen including Dan Rather, Morely Safer and Don Webster.
Had a good laugh with Gen. Chappie James (USAF) after a lousy “5’O folly” news briefing at the Pentagon. Got a BS answer to a valid question I asked based on a news item in the Daily Clips of that day. Never went back.
To make that day even worse, I was sitting next to Bob Schieffer. He was so full of himself that he needed two chairs to sit on, one for his ass and the other for his ego (also full of shit).
My “celebrities” from VN were the guys who served there with honor including those from Vietnam Veterans for a Just Peace (John O’Neill, later of the Swift Boat Veterans organization; Bruce Kesler; Mike Benge (former USMC; USAID/POW), 5th SF Jim Kerns; Glen Siegel, USA; etc), and those great guys in the Swift Boat group who exposed John Kerry.
I’ll throw in the late Nick Rowe (”Five Years to Freedom”), a SF POW who escaped after 5 years in tiger cages of the Viet Cong.
Other POWS in the Hanoi Hilton - “Larry Stark, civilian engineer; Jerry Denton, Admiral; Budd Day, Col.; Benge (who gave the NVA guards a lot of shit, and in Vietnamese); Paul Galanti, USAF; etc).
Capt. Stephen Harrison, the intelligence officer of the USS Pueblo. Tortured in No. Korea along with much of the crew.
Actor William Windhem (”To Kill a Mocking Bird”; Star Trek - Commander Dekker, “The Doomsday Machine”) - 503rd Reg./101st Airborne, WW2 - Normandy
Not celebrities: My father, Chemical Warfare Service, WW2 - 4.2 Chemical Mortar and gas masks; my father-in-law, four Pacific campaigns/landings including Iwo; my son, one of the first across the Iraqi border at the start of OIF.
ALL ARE “CELEBRITIES” IN MY WORLD, BUT UNLIKE HOLLYWOOD, WE CALL THEM HEROES, OFTEN UNSUNG HEROES, WHERE I COME FROM.
A runaway at 13 from Canada, hopped a freight train and came to America.
Ranch Hand, and LumberJack, ended up on a Foreign flagged freighter and later jumped ship to and American Flagged ship in Liverpool England.
During WWII served in every theater from the North Atlantic to the south pacific, Africa, South America. My Dad was a US Merchant Marine, and went from a runaway to one of the Vice Presidents of The National Maritime Union (now defunct).
A stern man, but not unloving, we never wanted for nothing, but we were certainly not given everything, but rather we were told to get a job and earn it.
Strange but the folks who came out of the depression era, had no patients for waste
He passed away last year, and he is missed.
This summer, my 2 brothers and I according to his orders, will spread his ashes over the North Atlantic where during the war, he lost so many shipmates, and friends so many years ago, to join them in the final crossing.
My Mother is too frail to travel, but will be there as will our sister, in thoughts and prayers
Yea, he is my hero, even now at 54, too old to have hero's?
I think not.
It was truly a day I'll never forget.
I don’t know if you saw my earlier post...my dad was an acquaintance of CDR Bucher (my mom once said “...a drinking buddy...”
To this day, I harbor an animus towards North Korea for what they did the the Pueblo and her men.
Bucher was screwed by the Navy. It is those things that I dislike about the Naval Service. (Of course now it is a complete mess. Effing Gender and GLBT Sensitivity Training.)
And I also think we should drop several dozen MK84’s right on the position of the USS Pueblo in Wonsan Harbor. Put that ship out of its misery.
No celebs from my stint in the Navy, but my second JROTC regimental commander was Philip A. Lacovara.
I work with the wife of this guy in the photo below (with the BCD Glasses on)
Agree with all you said, except for the bombing mission. Would be best if a few SEAL’s took a leisurely midnight swim into Wanson and left a couple of ‘items’, set for noon, attached to the hull. Maybe even leave something floating in the water with IRAN or SYRIA marked on it.
We visited that incredible museum more than 10 years ago, I think. I loved the giant maps of the South Pacific on the walls and was able to see all those places I had read about in Life magazine as a child during WW II. Neat the way the shelving which circled the tops of the murals showed what as happening at home during those times. Always hoped to get back there, we weren’t able to stay as long as I would have liked.
My XO at the Basic School, Lt Col Skinner, flew one of the F-8 Crusader photo recon aircraft (unarmed) that found the Russian missiles in Cuba in 1962.
Neat guy. Told me to pay attention to all the infantry stuff, even though I was headed to flight school.
“You just might need it someday. You are a Marine Infantry Platoon Leader first and a Marine pilot second.”
He continued, “I ended up being the G-3 (Operations Officer) of the Third Marine Division in Vietnam. I had two regimental G-3s under me and two rifle company COs, in the bush, under me also.”
Now THAT got my attention!
Lt Col Skinner - Unsung Hero!
A friend’s dad was at Bastiogne (sp) Christmas, 1944, when General Patton’s broke through German lines. This man idolizes G. Patton.
LOL, he must not be Joe Toye of Band of Brothers fame......"How do I feel about being rescued by Patton? I'd feel pretty peachy, except for one thing....we didn't f'in need to be rescued by Patton, you got that?"
I also served with Major Conway when he was the S-3 of the 31st MAU and I was the tank platoon commander for the BLT. (otherwise known as COMTANKWESTPAC ;-)
Probably the most important person I've worked with in terms of National Security - and through whom I've met dozen's of ugly celebrities i.e. politicos - is Scott Swett; FreeRepublic.com's own Interesting Times.
Literally from his basement in 2004 Scott - with the help of dozens of others - led the fight to prevent John Kerry from becoming President of the United States. He started the website WinterSoldier.com and with the contacts, knowledge and the sheer power of his intellect helped destroy John Kerry's campaign by bringing the technology of the web to the SwiftBoat Veteran's and POW's for Truth and running their website. I had the good fortune of helping I.T. with this book How Swift Boat Veterans, POWs and the New Media Defeated John Kerry
So, those are two of my brushes with greatness of which I am equally proud.
Semper Fi,
TS
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