Replies

WW2 Vet / FReepers

Ex – Snook – UsArmy – European Theater

Invictus – Infantry WW2 & Chaplain Korean

Texican

Tommix2 – USN - USS Ticonderoga

Wheelbarrow – US Army Air Corps – European Theater

Michael A. Marhevka (RIP) US AirForce

Bevlar (RIP)– US Merchant Marines

EdLinn (RIP)

Remember me when I am gone away,
Gone far away into the silent land;
When you can no more hold me by the hand,
Nor I half turn to go, yet turning stay.
Remember me when no more day by day
You tell me of our future that you plann'd:
Only remember me; you understand
It will be late to counsel then or pray.
Yet if you should forget me for a while
And afterwards remember, do not grieve:
For if the darkness and corruption leave
A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,
Better by far you should forget and smile
Than that you should remember and be sad.

Christina Rossetti

Ex – Snook

I received 17 weeks of combat infantry training in Texas learning to walk and to shoot everything that could be carried The Army would not send you over as an infantry replacement until you were 19 although you could go over at 18 with a unit. I was still 18 and was assigned to Company A, 232nd Regiment of the 42nd Rainbow Division.

Only the three Regiments went to France in December 1944 as an Infantry Task Force without the full Division. . We were the last American unit on the front next to the French. As new Infantry we were assigned to guard the quiet Rhine North of Strasbourg. The quiet didn’t last long, the Bulge started. The Nazis came across the Rhine. They had white painted tanks. The Nazis called this operation Norwind and was run by Himmler with objectives to retake Strasbourg and circle around our forces advancing toward Bastogne. It was the final Nazi offensive. My assignment was to a Regimental forward command post answering phones from the front and plotting our troop and enemy locations on a map. We took a beating. Our Regimental Exec was captured during a counter attack.

We withdrew until the full Division arrived. I had an R&R in Paris. There I got two tickets to the Follies Bergere where I saw the topless version of the Rockettes. Life went on in gay Paree.

After that we advanced. I crossed the Rhine in a field hospital with pneumonia from wintering in the ground. Once in Germany it was pretty easy. I was on a special task force to take all the records in the Germany factories in Schweinfurt. I was here when Roosevelt died. We had a memorial service in the streets.

From there it was to Bavaria. Some units went to Dachau. Mine went to Munich where I was when Hitler killed himself. Finally to the Austrian border where we sat until Stalin took Vienna. We could have beaten them to Vienna because the Nazis gave up fighting us and were concentrating on the Russians. They apparently thought that whoever conquered the land would occupy it but political arrangements were otherwise.

Although the war in Europe was over, it was not over for us. We were still on the alert for Pacific duty until thankfully, for us, Truman ended it. Then occupation in Austria until May 1946. Of interest, in spite of what is spoken here by people who were not there, we had no one killed by Nazis, Werewolf or otherwise. We had overwhelming force to completely defeat, occupy and control the enemy. Guys had more trouble with the Russians.

Then home, five years of night college under the GI Bill. Married, seven children, 19 grandchildren. Health problems, yes, but I’m in good shape for the shape I’m in.

Jim Robinson has a great site to exchange ideas and people like you make it even better.

Regards,
Ex-Snook

DollyCali’s Dad
MM Michael Grlicky, USN

Raised as one of 7 children to immigrant farming parents from Czechoslovakia, Mike was born in Michigan & later relocated with his family to NE Ohio. Public Schools & technical training at East Tech in Cleveland helped him with skills that would be used in the military & in his early jobs following college graduation

He met wife Eleanor at Martin Luther Lutheran Church & they were married shortly before the US was attacked at Pearl Harbor. Mike joined his other 4 brothers in signing up when the nation was attacked. The other 4 joined Army but Mike loving the water, chose Navy

He used his mechanical skills learned at East Tech to become a Machinist Mate. He envisioned lots of travel on ships. But the curse of all naval guys was his.. SHORE DUTY. He was stationed in Pacific theater in Okinawa & This was a “boring” land assignment to dad as he was in charge of setting up & maintaining the water purification on the island for the troops. He didn’t speak much about his war time but did recall LONG days & nights on Okinawa playing cards with his shipmates.

Following the war he used the GI Bill to go to Chiropractic College (a new field) in Davenport Iowa. He trained under BJ Palmer - the father of Chiropractic. Those early years found students invited to BJ’s home & learning the skills from the Master.

Back in Ohio following graduation & further studies at Logan Basic in St. Louis presented a dilemma.. Begin a practice & have the financial drawbacks that went with it or use his mechanical skills in industry & make the comfortable living.

Mom’s 10 votes to dads one vote had Industry(money) over Chiropractic(drought). As fate would have it, years later he was in middle management and the company was overtaken by a mega-buyout & he was “downsized”…

The devastation of this job and income loss was huge. The silver lining is that he was able to NOW later in life, do what he wanted to do his WHOLE life & he began his chiropractic practice.

He died of heart failure at age 74 & at his funeral My brother & I were thrilled and touched by the number of patients who came through & told us how much he meant to them & how often he treated them if they couldn’t pay. And this was the norm, not the rarity. He felt it was his duty to help/cure the infirm.. not get rich off of them.

He was an active man his entire life. He bicycled, walked, golfed, and was an avid card player. He was very involved as a Mason with the Twinsburg Lodge & along with my Mom in Eastern Star. He became Worthy Master & attained the 32nd degree
He was a fun father & played with us and taught us much regarding life. My love & excitement regarding the outdoors I attribute to the hours we would tromp around the woods & have berry picking outings or go to a nice lake & swim & enjoy the sun & nature in general.

He was a devoted & involved father to both my brother and my self. As a teen I could NOT even get a temporary permit to drive until I could change the oil of the car, change a tire & learn to check fluids & FILL THEM, I attribute my math skills to the hours he spent with me playing cards. He was the faithful dad when I did my dance lessons over the years. Mom never drove & if I couldn’t get there via bus, Dad would drive. In Sunday school we had “memory ladders”. Dad spent hours each week for MANY years learning them all with me. He always learned them faster. He had a wonderful mind & great sense of humor. He would amuse my friends when we would go on family outings as he was the only dad in the water & did fancy dives & flips off the board. The other dads were drinking beer with their buddies (my dad caught up on that later in day however).

His two times of "not so happy with Dolly" came when at 16 I sneaked out with the car one evening & got in accident. The second is at my wedding I chose White tie/tails for the attire for the men. He said he felt like a penguin. (but he looked very handsome). He was very proud when I joined the Navy following college & proud also of my brother's decision to join the Air Force. He was a wonderful grandpa & in his later years loved his "pup" Pierre, a Pomeranian, that he called - PeePee Fox.

He served his country, his church and his family with devotion & honor. Each Memorial Day I proudly go & “decorate” his grave & thank God for men such as him who have been the backbone & examples of decency in our great country.

Awesome story behind your service during WWII Ex-Snook, appreciate you sharing it with us here - and thank you for serving.

Words truly fail me in attempting to respond to your recounting of your experiences in WWII.

So, here is a heartfelt, yet feeble by comparison THANK YOU. More power to you; I thank God for your health and that He has truly prospered you.

Thank you, WW2 Vet/FReepers: Invictus, Texican, Tommix2, wheelbarrow, Michael A. Marhevka, Bevlar, EdLinn