You made my day.
I was thinking of my Father, a WWII Navy Vet who passed away in late 2016 at the age of 93.
He only told me snippets from the time he served in the South Pacific, not making much of a big deal about it.
He told me the closest he came to dying there was when the Captain of the Oceangoing Tug he was assigned to (one of four Ships he served on during the War) decided that he would take it upon himself (without Orders) to head toward Shore to tow a Disabled Landing Craft while there were still others heading in full of Marines. I believe it was off Iwo Jima.
As they headed in a Destroyer pulled up next the Tug and with Loudspeakers blaring told the Tug Captain that he had better turn around immediately before they blasted his Ship out of the water. My Father told me he thought that was it for him. Talk about Friendly Fire.
Well, after his death I found a few Photos, one with my grinning 21 Year Old Father standing in front of Bulkhead. On that Bulkhead were a half dozen painted Japanese Kamikaze Zeros that the Ship, I think a Destroyer he was on for a while, had shot out of the sky. He never mentioned that little episode.
On one occasion he did mention surviving the deadly Typhoon that sunk a bunch of our Ships though. He said even the old Sea Salts were as green as could be riding that one out.
Anyway, thanks for jarring my memory and Happy Fourth of July to all my FReeper Family.
He said even the old Sea Salts were as green as could be riding that one out.
My Uncle, who served on the USS Missouri, got to go through the second storm. And believe me, he told me that EVERYBODY was puking. I dunno if he was on the mighty mo at that time or not.
He already had 18 years in the navy at that time.
What kinda irks me is the kids these days complaining about having to serve away from home. I shut my buddy up by telling him of my Uncle who didnt see his family from just after Pearl Harbor to after the end of the war. Came to port, re-assigned/transffered to another ship and left port. Over and over again.
One of my cousins was born just a short year after he got back to San Diego.