World War Two

[ghadarits]

I'm a WWII historian simply because I grew up surrounded with veterans.
Dad was sent to Dutch Island, Alaska in 1942 as a tail gunner on the one of the first B-24s sent to war. He survived 3 crash landings and more than a dozen missions bombing the Japanese home islands. (Billy Mitchell's raid was NOT the first bombing mission over Japan flown by the US Army Air Corps!) Dad spent most of '44 and '45 as lead gunnery instructor at Biggs Field (El Paso, TX).

Mom was Women's Army Corp and a disabled Veteran. Her disability occurred on a basketball court stateside, but she still received $17 a month for the rest of her life. When she was in her 90's our family had a fight with the VA. They sent her a check for several thousand $s (because they hadn't increased her disability payment in 60 years) then demanded the money back (because her disability wasn't combat). That argument only ended because Mom passed away at 95 years old.

Uncle Hutch was sent by his CPO on an errand Sunday morning December 7, 1941 and returned just in time to watch his ship, the USS Oklahoma roll over. He ended WWII as a mustang Lt. and served until 1970 as a Navy officer. For a while the Navy wouldn't let him retire because they were bringing back the Iowa class and he was the only gunnery officer left in the service with real experience on 16" guns.

Uncle Clint was a tank commander (ssgt) in Creighton Abrams 37th Tank Battalion, 4thID, 3rd Army (Patton). The only "war" story he ever told was about the time his tank was disabled and he and his crew retreated the wrong way and ended up capturing a German mechanized platoon by accident. He insisted that the Bronze Star (with V) for that was just a knicknack. He never told anyone, not even his wife, how he got the Silver Star(V) or the Purple Heart.

Uncle Tody wasn't allowed to enlist. He started working at the Milan (TN) Army Ammunition Plant when it opened in 1941 and was not allowed to quit when the war started. Throughout the war he worked double shifts and still managed to farm enough to provide fresh veggies and pork to the families of every serviceman from Milan!

I couldn't help but absorb WWII history - even though no combat veteran, family or friend, would talk about the fighting, beyond generalizations.

The "modern world" doesn't acknowledge what a giant impact the conflicts of WWII, between 1936 and 1945, had on the world. Fifty-five million uniformed combatants died in WWII (that is a real number). As many as 20 million died of disease or starvation, and over half a billion people were dislocated by war (a quarter of the total world population of 2.3 billion).
((note that the civilian death totals are estimated by some to exceed 60,000,000))

Hopefully we will never have another war like WWII. I don't think America would be the force it was then. I'm not discounting our current military they do and will always have my upmost respect but, our young people are not cut from the same cloth as their great great grand parents were myself included at 58yo. I like to think I would have stepped up like them but I'll never know.

 

[Resica]

My Grandfather served, never learned what he did, I was a kid, didnt really know the importance. He got dementia and died before I realized I should talk to him.

I transported a guy the other day, 100, be 101 in March, Still AOx4 and said he was in Japan. All he said is he was "scared to death" when I told him thanks for his service.
He's in Snellville. at a senior living facility.

You might be able to find stuff online about your Grandfather! Thank's for his service!

 

[Resica]

I'm a WWII historian simply because I grew up surrounded with veterans.
Dad was sent to Dutch Island, Alaska in 1942 as a tail gunner on the one of the first B-24s sent to war. He survived 3 crash landings and more than a dozen missions bombing the Japanese home islands. (Billy Mitchell's raid was NOT the first bombing mission over Japan flown by the US Army Air Corps!) Dad spent most of '44 and '45 as lead gunnery instructor at Biggs Field (El Paso, TX).

Mom was Women's Army Corp and a disabled Veteran. Her disability occurred on a basketball court stateside, but she still received $17 a month for the rest of her life. When she was in her 90's our family had a fight with the VA. They sent her a check for several thousand $s (because they hadn't increased her disability payment in 60 years) then demanded the money back (because her disability wasn't combat). That argument only ended because Mom passed away at 95 years old.

Uncle Hutch was sent by his CPO on an errand Sunday morning December 7, 1941 and returned just in time to watch his ship, the USS Oklahoma roll over. He ended WWII as a mustang Lt. and served until 1970 as a Navy officer. For a while the Navy wouldn't let him retire because they were bringing back the Iowa class and he was the only gunnery officer left in the service with real experience on 16" guns.

Uncle Clint was a tank commander (ssgt) in Creighton Abrams 37th Tank Battalion, 4thID, 3rd Army (Patton). The only "war" story he ever told was about the time his tank was disabled and he and his crew retreated the wrong way and ended up capturing a German mechanized platoon by accident. He insisted that the Bronze Star (with V) for that was just a knicknack. He never told anyone, not even his wife, how he got the Silver Star(V) or the Purple Heart.

Uncle Tody wasn't allowed to enlist. He started working at the Milan (TN) Army Ammunition Plant when it opened in 1941 and was not allowed to quit when the war started. Throughout the war he worked double shifts and still managed to farm enough to provide fresh veggies and pork to the families of every serviceman from Milan!

I couldn't help but absorb WWII history - even though no combat veteran, family or friend, would talk about the fighting, beyond generalizations.

The "modern world" doesn't acknowledge what a giant impact the conflicts of WWII, between 1936 and 1945, had on the world. Fifty-five million uniformed combatants died in WWII (that is a real number). As many as 20 million died of disease or starvation, and over half a billion people were dislocated by war (a quarter of the total world population of 2.3 billion).
((note that the civilian death totals are estimated by some to exceed 60,000,000))

I'm with ya. I'm an amateur historian because of my relatives. Thanks for your folks service. What's a mustang LT.
?

 

[Resica]

Hopefully we will never have another war like WWII. I don't think America would be the force it was then. I'm not discounting our current military they do and will always have my upmost respect but, our young people are not cut from the same cloth as their great great grand parents were myself included at 58yo. I like to think I would have stepped up like them but I'll never know.

We would have! What so many went through is horrific. Hard to fathom.

 

[Resica]

Another one of my Great Uncles was on the U.S.S. Indiana, a day late to be a plank owner at Norfolk. He told me about bringing Japanese prisoners onboard at Guadalcanal and they wouldn't let the Marines onboard guard them cause they thought they'd kill them. Talked about shelling Kwajalein and others. He said when they fired those 16 inch guns broadside you could feel the battleship pitch back a little like a rubber duck. He was onboard when they collided with the North Carolina Class Battleship Washington at night. She took off about 200 feet of the Washingtons bow, oops. Indiana cut in front of her at night to refuel some destroyers. USS Indiana was a South Dakota class battleship. Love those battleships!!
Uncle John was an ensign and commanded a quad 40mm Bofors battery on the back of the second forward 16" gun turret.

 

[GeorgiaBob]

I'm with ya. I'm an amateur historian because of my relatives. Thanks for your folks service. What's a mustang LT.
?

A mustang is an enlisted (private) or non-commissioned officer (sgt) who is directly commissioned as an officer. In the Navy there are regular officers (US Naval Academy grads), reserve officers (Navy ROTC), Officer candidate school reserve officers (90 day wonders), and direct commissioned officers from the ranks (Mustangs).

While serving on active duty all commissioned officers are supposedly treated the same. That has never been entirely true. My Uncle Hutch spent a lot more of his service time on shore duty stations, while Academy grads usually got better career advancement slots. Hutch didn't mind! I was Navy ROTC and, right off the bat, I took a back seat to Academy grads.

Another mustang, from a different service, that you might recognize is Audie Murphy. He received a battlefield promotion before he earned a Medal of Honor.

 

[Resica]

A mustang is an enlisted (private) or non-commissioned officer (sgt) who is directly commissioned as an officer. In the Navy there are regular officers (US Naval Academy grads), reserve officers (Navy ROTC), Officer candidate school reserve officers (90 day wonders), and direct commissioned officers from the ranks (Mustangs).

While serving on active duty all commissioned officers are supposedly treated the same. That has never been entirely true. My Uncle Hutch spent a lot more of his service time on shore duty stations, while Academy grads usually got better career advancement slots. Hutch didn't mind! I was Navy ROTC and, right off the bat, I took a back seat to Academy grads.

Another mustang, from a different service, that you might recognize is Audie Murphy. He received a battlefield promotion before he earned a Medal of Honor.

Dad was in AFROTC at Tech. Got out in 72 at 33 as a Major. Love Audie. There were 2 Air Force officers at New Boston , New Hampshire way back when we lived up there. Dad ran the tracking station and the 2 other officers of the same rank as him were under him, one graduated from West Point and the other Annapolis. Obviously dad must have had seniority because of time in.

 

[Resica]

A mustang is an enlisted (private) or non-commissioned officer (sgt) who is directly commissioned as an officer. In the Navy there are regular officers (US Naval Academy grads), reserve officers (Navy ROTC), Officer candidate school reserve officers (90 day wonders), and direct commissioned officers from the ranks (Mustangs).

While serving on active duty all commissioned officers are supposedly treated the same. That has never been entirely true. My Uncle Hutch spent a lot more of his service time on shore duty stations, while Academy grads usually got better career advancement slots. Hutch didn't mind! I was Navy ROTC and, right off the bat, I took a back seat to Academy grads.

Another mustang, from a different service, that you might recognize is Audie Murphy. He received a battlefield promotion before he earned a Medal of Honor.

Mitchell Paige- Guadalcanal , and a lot of other deserving soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines!

 

[Glenn2399]

My Dad, Uncle and Grandfather all enlisted on the same day in 1942. My Grandfather had also served in WW1. For that reason he was sent to Alaska as a supply troop and never seen action. He was not happy about that. Dad was in the 101st Airborne. He never spoke of the war. I was fortunate enough to meet a fellow in 2016 who was in the same unit as my pop. He was in his nineties and was sharp as a tack. Incredible memory. He told me they went to Basic Training in Louisiana and then to Jump School in Georgia. He said they had a miserable ride on a ship to England where they were assigned to the 506 PIR. They jumped into Normandy and were given the job of keeping causeways from the Germans. I really never understood what a causeway was. They returned to England for a short time. They then went to Holland. They went into there on a glider towed by C47. He said they were there for several months to keep the Germans from invading Holland. Said it was quiet most of the time. From there they went to Belgium, mostly in trucks and jeeps. It was brutally cold and they were still
In summer uniforms. My Dad was wounded at Bastonge. We won but but took a beating. The media referred to them as "The Battled *******s of Bastonge". I believe the war affected my Dad for the rest of his life. He had a problem with alcohol and died young (61).

 

[Resica]

My Dad, Uncle and Grandfather all enlisted on the same day in 1942. My Grandfather had also served in WW1. For that reason he was sent to Alaska as a supply troop and never seen action. He was not happy about that. Dad was in the 101st Airborne. He never spoke of the war. I was fortunate enough to meet a fellow in 2016 who was in the same unit as my pop. He was in his nineties and was sharp as a tack. Incredible memory. He told me they went to Basic Training in Louisiana and then to Jump School in Georgia. He said they had a miserable ride on a ship to England where they were assigned to the 506 PIR. They jumped into Normandy and were given the job of keeping causeways from the Germans. I really never understood what a causeway was. They returned to England for a short time. They then went to Holland. They went into there on a glider towed by C47. He said they were there for several months to keep the Germans from invading Holland. Said it was quiet most of the time. From there they went to Belgium, mostly in trucks and jeeps. It was brutally cold and they were still
In summer uniforms. My Dad was wounded at Bastonge. We won but but took a beating. The media referred to them as "The Battled *******s of Bastonge". I believe the war affected my Dad for the rest of his life. He had a problem with alcohol and died young (61).

Thanks for sharing and so much thanks to Dad, Uncle and Grandfather-Heros! I hate what our fighters went through!

 

[Resica]

Peleliu - Watch these if you can find the time. Really interesting. I'm posting 2. A 3rd will be along shortly.

 

[Resica]

Pretty cool.

Captain John 'Wild Bill' Crump and 'Jeep

www.huntingpa.com

 

[georgia_home]

A causeway is like a high bit of land or road that runs through a marsh/swamp/wet area

the one area vehicles can use because the marsh ground is too mushy to support traffic. Natural or man made.

Example . The roads that run from the main land to the barrier islands along the coast or like south Florida. has the roads across the glades Naples to Miami

The germans flooded many areas around Normandy to restrict traffic and invasion routes. easier to ambush and drop fire on traffic. And choke points. And if you held them you could move while the other guy was limited

My Dad, Uncle and Grandfather all enlisted on the same day in 1942. My Grandfather had also served in WW1. For that reason he was sent to Alaska as a supply troop and never seen action. He was not happy about that. Dad was in the 101st Airborne. He never spoke of the war. I was fortunate enough to meet a fellow in 2016 who was in the same unit as my pop. He was in his nineties and was sharp as a tack. Incredible memory. He told me they went to Basic Training in Louisiana and then to Jump School in Georgia. He said they had a miserable ride on a ship to England where they were assigned to the 506 PIR. They jumped into Normandy and were given the job of keeping causeways from the Germans. I really never understood what a causeway was. They returned to England for a short time. They then went to Holland. They went into there on a glider towed by C47. He said they were there for several months to keep the Germans from invading Holland. Said it was quiet most of the time. From there they went to Belgium, mostly in trucks and jeeps. It was brutally cold and they were still
In summer uniforms. My Dad was wounded at Bastonge. We won but but took a beating. The media referred to them as "The Battled *******s of Bastonge". I believe the war affected my Dad for the rest of his life. He had a problem with alcohol and died young (61).

 

[GeorgiaBob]

I guess this might fit here.

Today, March 4, 2024 the Battleship Texas came out of drydock after many months of work. The Texas is the only surviving WWI battleship, the only surviving warship to have served in Both WWI and WWII, the first "modern" warship to be dedicated as a museum ship after WWII, and it is the flagship of the Texas Navy.

The Texas (BB-35) was commissioned in March of 1914, served with the US Atlantic Fleet as part of the Grand Fleet out of Scapa Flow in WWI, was all over the world and often updated between the wars, served in the Atlantic including close inshore fire support for the D-Day invasion before sailing to the Pacific theater and participating at Iwo Jima and Okinawa, she was decommissioned in April of 1948 and immediately turned over to the state of Texas to become a museum ship.

 

[Resica]

The beautiful Texas!!! The USS New Jersey, our most decorated battleship is about to go into drydock in Philadelphia, same place she was built. Guess she's got to go down the Delaware and across to the Pennsylvania side. The New Jersey has a youtube site. Lots of great videos. Don't care for the state but what a gorgeous ship! Check it out!

 

[Resica]

https://www.youtube.com/c/BattleshipNewJersey

 

[Resica]

They ought to recommission those Iowas!! They could be helpful, I believe.

 

[georgia_home]

Has a much better reputation these days than the state she was named after!

I’ve posted some of these before, but they seem relevant to the discussion. Uss Iowa a few years ago. My so on the bridge, captains chair. I think

Edit: the middle barrel is not serviceable. just a plug, but looking good none the less

 

[westcobbdog]

Watching the history channel last night and the topic was the naval battle for Guadalcanal, where the Japs sent their powerful navy to recapture the island.
Didn't know the cruiser or destroyer Atlanta was there and took quite a beating, partly from the japs mostly from the sister ship USS San Francisco, who mistakenly landed a 14 shot barrage on the Atlanta while shooting back at the japs.

 

[Resica]

Watching the history channel last night and the topic was the naval battle for Guadalcanal, where the Japs sent their powerful navy to recapture the island.
Didn't know the cruiser or destroyer Atlanta was there and took quite a beating, partly from the japs mostly from the sister ship USS San Francisco, who mistakenly landed a 14 shot barrage on the Atlanta while shooting back at the japs.

Tough fighting at night, Japs were good at it. The Atlanta was an antiaircraft cruiser, probably shouldn't have been there but when you are ship limited you use what you have. We sank her the same day. We lost Admiral Scott on the Atlanta. Admiral Callaghan was killed the same night on the San Francisco.