What did your family members do in WWII?

Started by Jacob, September 02, 2020, 05:20:06 PM

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FamilyRosary

My grandparents were in their 40's, too old to fight and anyway both my grandfathers worked in essential industries, one in a steel mill and the other as a farmer. Their wives stayed home with the kids.

My dad joined the Army Air Corps in 1944 as soon as he turned 17. He was trained as a medic and ambulance driver but was never near the front lines. He served for a total of six years, getting out in 1947 and going back in for Korea. He made sergeant, and was even a drill sergeant for a while, which is impossible for me to imagine. My mother yes, she was perfect for that job, but not my dad. My mom was still in school during the war, graduating in 1950. Both of her brothers saw action overseas though.
The family that prays together stays together.

JackMorgan

One grandfather was a US Navy fighter pilot in the Pacific. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. Joe Kennedy, Jr., who later died in action, was in his flight training class.
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My other grandfather enlisted in US Marines as a private at age 17 around the beginning of WW2. He served throughout the Pacific during the war, was wounded at Okinawa, and received a purple heart. After his discharge from the Marines towards the end of the war, he enlisted in the US Army and served in the Occupation of Europe. Later on, he went to Korea.

Heinrich

Quote from: JackMorgan on January 31, 2021, 04:18:44 PM
One grandfather was a US Navy fighter pilot in the Pacific. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. Joe Kennedy, Jr., who later died in action, was in his flight training class.
31-DE8-FDC-D452-4290-A6-B3-C86857869-DB7

My other grandfather enlisted in US Marines as a private at age 17 around the beginning of WW2. He served throughout the Pacific during the war, was wounded at Okinawa, and received a purple heart. After his discharge from the Marines towards the end of the war, he enlisted in the US Army and served in the Occupation of Europe. Later on, he went to Korea.


Was your Gfather at Midway or any of the other early battles?
Schaff Recht mir Gott und führe meine Sache gegen ein unheiliges Volk . . .   .                          
Lex Orandi, lex credendi, lex vivendi.
"Die Welt sucht nach Ehre, Ansehen, Reichtum, Vergnügen; die Heiligen aber suchen Demütigung, Verachtung, Armut, Abtötung und Buße." --Ausschnitt von der Geschichte des Lebens St. Bennos.

Tennessean

My maternal grandpa trained dogs in the Marines, my paternal grandpa trained bombardiers on the norden bombsight. My paternal granduncle was in North Africa and Italy, a combat engineer, who came home with the bronze and silver star. He never talked about it, nobody asked. We only learned what my paternal grandpa did the year before he lost his memory, it was just an accidental part of his story about being late for a train or something. My general impression from the veterans I met was they didn't want to talk about it. Not even reminisce about people or places. However, my maternal grandpa did like talking about the photos he brought home from the islands. I think it must have been exciting to a boy from Irvine, Kentucky and he loved telling stories in general.

Heinrich

My dear friend's grandfather flew the P51 Mustang in Europe. He said their mission on June 6, 1944 was to engage the Luftwaffe with explicit orders NOT to engage the ground theatre. By that time the Luftwaffe had maybe six planes and two pilots, but the Allies didn't know that.
Schaff Recht mir Gott und führe meine Sache gegen ein unheiliges Volk . . .   .                          
Lex Orandi, lex credendi, lex vivendi.
"Die Welt sucht nach Ehre, Ansehen, Reichtum, Vergnügen; die Heiligen aber suchen Demütigung, Verachtung, Armut, Abtötung und Buße." --Ausschnitt von der Geschichte des Lebens St. Bennos.

Bonaventure

One worked for the State Dept at a satélite installation in Alaska.

Another was a soldier who was subjected to the Bataan Death March.
"If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me."

LausTibiChriste

Grand uncle was a Hurricane pilot - shot down during the Battle of Britain. Visited his grave on the IoW, and remnants of his plane are in a museum in Kent - still planning on visiting

A cousin of some degree (Was a great grand-child of my great great great Grandfather [I think]) was a Lancaster pilot - died over Hamburg.

Another distant cousin moved to Australia and worked for the RAAF.

The way the ages in my family are timed a lot of people missed the war for being either too old or too young...my Grandfather tried signing up, but he was only 13 or 14...so instead, during the Blitz, they had him ride around London on his bike and report where the bombs had landed/where the fires where.
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Heinrich

Quote from: LausTibiChriste on December 24, 2023, 04:45:41 PMGrand uncle was a Hurricane pilot - shot down during the Battle of Britain. Visited his grave on the IoW, and remnants of his plane are in a museum in Kent - still planning on visiting

A cousin of some degree (Was a great grand-child of my great great great Grandfather [I think]) was a Lancaster pilot - died over Hamburg.

Another distant cousin moved to Australia and worked for the RAAF.

The way the ages in my family are timed a lot of people missed the war for being either too old or too young...my Grandfather tried signing up, but he was only 13 or 14...so instead, during the Blitz, they had him ride around London on his bike and report where the bombs had landed/where the fires where.

I'll bet he cussed the whole shift.
Schaff Recht mir Gott und führe meine Sache gegen ein unheiliges Volk . . .   .                          
Lex Orandi, lex credendi, lex vivendi.
"Die Welt sucht nach Ehre, Ansehen, Reichtum, Vergnügen; die Heiligen aber suchen Demütigung, Verachtung, Armut, Abtötung und Buße." --Ausschnitt von der Geschichte des Lebens St. Bennos.

clau clau

#38
Uncle: Bomber command (Navigator in Halifax Bomber), got shot down, bailed out and survived but POW (treated well by German nuns).

Maternal Grandad: Navy Commander (He was deployed on HMS Hood but fortunately transferred approx. 3 months before it was sunk by the Bismarck). He spent a large part of the 2nd World War in Aden, Yemen (HMS Sheba).

Paternal Grandad: 1st World War (Passchendaele, loads of others but not the Somme I think). Fought the Turks in Palestine. Marched into Jerusalem under General Allenby
(Wow, that must have been amazing!). He brought back a crucifix from Jerusalem.
I think he may have been to Megiddo also. That's interesting because:

In Christian apocalyptic literature, Mount Megiddo, the hill overlooking the valley where the current kibbutz is located, is identified as the site of the final battle between the forces of good and evil at the end of time, known as Armageddon and mentioned in the New Testament in Revelation 16:16.
-- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megiddo,_Israel

@Frank can probably correct the stuff I have wrong.
(I'm also not sure about Uncle Bob - think Navy also but not sure).
Father time has an undefeated record.

But when he's dumb and no more here,
Nineteen hundred years or near,
Clau-Clau-Claudius shall speak clear.
(https://completeandunabridged.blogspot.com/2009/06/i-claudius.html)

Michael Wilson

Great Uncle, Fr. Joseph Coakley, Army Chaplain during W.W.II or family credits him with the saying: "There are no atheists in foxholes".
"The World Must Conform to Our Lord and not He to it." Rev. Dennis Fahey CSSP

"My brothers, all of you, if you are condemned to see the triumph of evil, never applaud it. Never say to evil: you are good; to decadence: you are progess; to death: you are life. Sanctify yourselves in the times wherein God has placed you; bewail the evils and the disorders which God tolerates; oppose them with the energy of your works and your efforts, your life uncontaminated by error, free from being led astray, in such a way that having lived here below, united with the Spirit of the Lord, you will be admitted to be made but one with Him forever and ever: But he who is joined to the Lord is one in spirit." Cardinal Pie of Potiers

TradGranny

Father was shot down over Germany, POW for two years. When the Russians "liberated" Germany and the POW camps, they used shock troops (my father said they were Kulaks or Kasoks or something like that). They were accompanied by huge trucks like cement trucks that had 2 types: stew and vodka. He said these shock troops were so violent that the German women were banging on the doors of the POW camps begging to be allowed in. The prison camp staff all fled on foot.
To have courage for whatever comes in life - everything lies in that.
Saint Teresa of Avila

drummerboy

Yes, the Soviets were notorious for employing semi-barbarous Asiatics in the Red Army
- I'll get with the times when the times are worth getting with

"I like grumpy old cusses.  Hope to live long enough to be one" - John Wayne