SO WHAT DID YOUR PARENTS DO IN THE BIG WAR

[SHIVER ME TIMBERS]

Well after watching the Ken Burns series THE WAR ad naseum ad naseum,
I thought I'd come into the group today with one of my curious questions.

What did your parents, family, etc. do in the big WWII.

Mine worked at the Canada Car foundry in what was then called
Fort William, Ontario.

They were inspectors helping to make Hawker Hurricanes and later other
types of figthers including the Curtis Helldiver.

How about your folks.....

[Ron]

"SHIVER ME TIMBERS" > wrote in message
...
> Well after watching the Ken Burns series THE WAR ad naseum ad naseum,
> I thought I'd come into the group today with one of my curious questions.
>
> What did your parents, family, etc. do in the big WWII.
>

Mine were born while their fathers were dodgeing slave labour under Hun
control. Basically what that means is: they were starving before they could
properly speak in the winter of 44-45. They were saved by british and
amarican bombers dropping food during Operation Manna (British) / Operation
Chowhound (US) (
http://www.heureka.clara.net/lincolnshire/operation-manna.htm )

Ron
--
Non urinat in ventum

[Tri-Pacer]

">
> What did your parents, family, etc. do in the big WWII.
>
>
My father was paymaster for the North American Aviation plant in Los Angeles
California.

Paul
N1431A
KPLU

[George]

<snip>

> What did your parents, family, etc. do in the big WWII.

<snip>

My mother was a "Rosie the Riveter" in the Seattle shipyards.

My father was an armorment(sp?) specialist (B-24) in North Africa, At
least some time near the end of the war that is where was, don't know
much else about his tour of duty, though he did serve elsewhere.

Had an uncle that died in an air raid on VE day, don't know the location.

George

[CWO4 Dave Mann]

SHIVER ME TIMBERS wrote:
> Well after watching the Ken Burns series THE WAR ad naseum ad naseum,
> I thought I'd come into the group today with one of my curious questions.
>
> What did your parents, family, etc. do in the big WWII.
>
> Mine worked at the Canada Car foundry in what was then called
> Fort William, Ontario.
>
> They were inspectors helping to make Hawker Hurricanes and later other
> types of figthers including the Curtis Helldiver.
>
> How about your folks.....


My father was a PBY pilot in the Pacific; he was an enlisted pilot
(Chief Petty Officer) and flew west coast patrol missions from Cabo San
Lucas via North Island Naval Air Station to the Canadian Border and back
again. My mother was a telephone company teletype specialist who worked
for the Signals Intelligence Station at Imperial Beach California. She
was a shift supervisor for radio teletype interception. Her younger
sister was a forklift operator at the 11th Naval District yards while
her husband was a fuel handler for ship refueling at the Port of San Diego.

[muff528]

"SHIVER ME TIMBERS" > wrote in message
...
> Well after watching the Ken Burns series THE WAR ad naseum ad naseum,
> I thought I'd come into the group today with one of my curious questions.
>
> What did your parents, family, etc. do in the big WWII.
>
> Mine worked at the Canada Car foundry in what was then called
> Fort William, Ontario.
>
> They were inspectors helping to make Hawker Hurricanes and later other
> types of figthers including the Curtis Helldiver.
>
> How about your folks.....


Dad was Flight Engineer/Top Turret Gunner in a B-17. 452nd Bomb Group (H),
based at Deopham Green, near Norwich and Attleborough. 26 combat missions.
Also flew on three "Chowhound" missions over Holland. February 1945 till the
end of the war in Europe. Mom was just out of High School and working.

Tony P.

[Eric]

I never found out exactly what my father did, other than he and my
grandfather were electricians for the "government" (as they called it) in
New Mexico during the last couple years of the war. I have several pictures
of them in the desert without any sort of landmarks in the shots.

My mother worked at a factory in Saint Louis, to this day, she has never
talked about it.


"SHIVER ME TIMBERS" > wrote in message
...
> Well after watching the Ken Burns series THE WAR ad naseum ad naseum,
> I thought I'd come into the group today with one of my curious questions.
>
> What did your parents, family, etc. do in the big WWII.
>
> Mine worked at the Canada Car foundry in what was then called
> Fort William, Ontario.
>
> They were inspectors helping to make Hawker Hurricanes and later other
> types of figthers including the Curtis Helldiver.
>
> How about your folks.....

[Jim[_8_]]

"SHIVER ME TIMBERS" > wrote in message
...
> Well after watching the Ken Burns series THE WAR ad naseum ad naseum,
> I thought I'd come into the group today with one of my curious questions.
>
> What did your parents, family, etc. do in the big WWII.
>
> Mine worked at the Canada Car foundry in what was then called
> Fort William, Ontario.
>
> They were inspectors helping to make Hawker Hurricanes and later other
> types of figthers including the Curtis Helldiver.
>
> How about your folks.....

My dad continued farming (I remember the German POWs coming to hoe the sugar
beets) and mom continued as a 1st-6th grade teacher. Had an uncle that flew
B-25s, B-26s, and 'birddogs' for OSS in China/Burma theater.

[Grumpy AuContraire[_2_]]

My father was a shipfitter at the Walsh-Kaiser shipyard in Providence,
RI building liberty ships. Mom was a stay-at-home and volunteer.

JT



SHIVER ME TIMBERS wrote:

> Well after watching the Ken Burns series THE WAR ad naseum ad naseum,
> I thought I'd come into the group today with one of my curious questions.
>
> What did your parents, family, etc. do in the big WWII.
>
> Mine worked at the Canada Car foundry in what was then called
> Fort William, Ontario.
>
> They were inspectors helping to make Hawker Hurricanes and later other
> types of figthers including the Curtis Helldiver.
>
> How about your folks.....

[MaXiLeeCH]

"SHIVER ME TIMBERS" > wrote in message
...
> Well after watching the Ken Burns series THE WAR ad naseum ad naseum,
> I thought I'd come into the group today with one of my curious questions.
>
> What did your parents, family, etc. do in the big WWII.
>
> Mine worked at the Canada Car foundry in what was then called
> Fort William, Ontario.
>
> They were inspectors helping to make Hawker Hurricanes and later other
> types of figthers including the Curtis Helldiver.
>
> How about your folks.....


My dad (Francis (Frank) Frankcom) was a soldier in the 2nd / 7th Australian
Infantry Battalion in various places in the Pacific & Middle East theatres.
(Alamein, Kokoda, Burma, Ceylon + others)
He passed away in the late 70's (I never got to meet him as I was put up for
adoption at my birth in '59.)

May he rest in peace.

I give thanks to my dad and all his fellow service personel for helping make
the world a better place.
Lets try not to f*/& up all their good work eh?

Jeff Cochrane
VK4BOF

[Andrew Chaplin]

"SHIVER ME TIMBERS" > wrote in message
...
> Well after watching the Ken Burns series THE WAR ad naseum ad naseum,
> I thought I'd come into the group today with one of my curious questions.
>
> What did your parents, family, etc. do in the big WWII.
>
> Mine worked at the Canada Car foundry in what was then called
> Fort William, Ontario.
>
> They were inspectors helping to make Hawker Hurricanes and later other
> types of figthers including the Curtis Helldiver.
>
> How about your folks.....

Dad was a Canadian in the RN operating radar. Mum was a student at Lisgar
Collegiate Institute learning, among other things, to shoot in case push came
to shove (the school had an indoor range on its fourth floor) and occasionally
babysitting Adrienne Poy. Maternal grandfather was a sergeant in the Black
Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada, until he was hit by a truck in the
blackout in England and crippled. His wife was a social worker in Ottawa,
working with families who had lost loved ones or who were having them returned
as wounded. Paternal grandfather ran the timber mechanics laboratory at
Princes Risborough for the Royal Aircraft Establishment, and was the man who,
before the war, proved the concept for the plywood construction of the
Mosquito. His wife ran the household and prayed for a son running an oil
refinery in Egypt, another leading a troop in the Royal Canadian Hussars, and
for my dad in the RN (she was spared having to worry much about her daughter,
whom they packed off back to Canada in 1939 to finish her schooling in
Montréal).
--
Andrew Chaplin
SIT MIHI GLADIUS SICUT SANCTO MARTINO
(If you're going to e-mail me, you'll have to get "yourfinger." out.)

[Lynn in StLou[_3_]]

SHIVER ME TIMBERS wrote:


Father served in 45th Infantry division field
artillery

http://www.45thdivision.org/Photo_Gallery/Div_Arty/ElmoTravers171.jpg

Mother taught school in Kansas

Lynn in StLou...Phoenix for now



and the obligatory picture...

[muff528]

"muff528" > wrote in message
news:udtXi.8437$h17.2061@trnddc04...
>
> "SHIVER ME TIMBERS" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Well after watching the Ken Burns series THE WAR ad naseum ad naseum,
>> I thought I'd come into the group today with one of my curious questions.
>>
>> What did your parents, family, etc. do in the big WWII.
>>
>> Mine worked at the Canada Car foundry in what was then called
>> Fort William, Ontario.
>>
>> They were inspectors helping to make Hawker Hurricanes and later other
>> types of figthers including the Curtis Helldiver.
>>
>> How about your folks.....
>
>
> Dad was Flight Engineer/Top Turret Gunner in a B-17. 452nd Bomb Group (H),
> based at Deopham Green, near Norwich and Attleborough. 26 combat missions.
> Also flew on three "Chowhound" missions over Holland. February 1945 till
> the
> end of the war in Europe. Mom was just out of High School and working.
>
> Tony P.
>
>

Oh yeah!...forgot a photo.........

[Tom Callahan]

My father was an infantryman who was wounded in the Battle of the Bulge at
Bastogne. He was treated at a hospital in the USA and then went to the
Pacific Theater. He ended up staying in the service after World War II and
retired from the Army.

My mother was a glass blower in New Jersey. She made glass cylinders used
to make radio tubes.

My brother and I were both career Army; my older sister married an Air Force
guy and my younger sister married a Coast Guard guy.

Tom in Pensacola

[Jim Morris[_3_]]

"SHIVER ME TIMBERS" > wrote in message
...
> Well after watching the Ken Burns series THE WAR ad naseum ad naseum,
> I thought I'd come into the group today with one of my curious questions.
>
> What did your parents, family, etc. do in the big WWII.
>
> Mine worked at the Canada Car foundry in what was then called
> Fort William, Ontario.
>
> They were inspectors helping to make Hawker Hurricanes and later other
> types of figthers including the Curtis Helldiver.
>
> How about your folks.....

My dad was CO of the 82nd Combat Engineers Battalion.
During the invasion his unit built many of the pontoons and other support
structures
needed for the march to Berlin.

My mom was a secretary in Washington DC at one of the government offices.

Jim Morris

[Pat Heuvel]

Ron wrote:
> "SHIVER ME TIMBERS" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Well after watching the Ken Burns series THE WAR ad naseum ad naseum,
>> I thought I'd come into the group today with one of my curious questions.
>>
>> What did your parents, family, etc. do in the big WWII.
>>
>
> Mine were born while their fathers were dodgeing slave labour under Hun
> control. Basically what that means is: they were starving before they could
> properly speak in the winter of 44-45. They were saved by british and
> amarican bombers dropping food during Operation Manna (British) / Operation
> Chowhound (US) (
> http://www.heureka.clara.net/lincolnshire/operation-manna.htm )
>
> Ron

My (Dutch) father worked in Dresden as a labourer, but also had a talent
for forging travel papers to get himself, and people not liked by the
nazis, out of Germany. He worked with the Dutch underground. He left
Dresden to work in Arnhem when the Germans cracked down after finding so
many people slipped through their fingers with false documents. He lived
in Zevenaar with my mother, but both were born in Deventer. They also
helped evacuate downed pilots and others out of Holland to England.

He died last year, and my only regret was to never have gotten his story
on tape!

Pat

[Guy]

> How about your folks.....

My father was forced by the fascist regime to fight in Africa and Balcans to
conquire the "empire" and , in the progess, he met also with a bullet in
the
chest. After 8-11-1943 he letf, and joined the resistance against the nazi
which had occupied Italy. He knew English language so he was given the radio
comunications with the Britts and Americans (whom we will never end to thank
for what they did) until the end of the war in april 45.He died in 1972.

[John Ewing]

"SHIVER ME TIMBERS" > wrote in message
...
> Well after watching the Ken Burns series THE WAR ad naseum ad naseum,
> I thought I'd come into the group today with one of my curious questions.
>
> What did your parents, family, etc. do in the big WWII.
>
> Mine worked at the Canada Car foundry in what was then called
> Fort William, Ontario.
>
> They were inspectors helping to make Hawker Hurricanes and later other
> types of figthers including the Curtis Helldiver.
>
> How about your folks.....

My father was a Kiwi soldier/driver in the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary
Force and saw action against Rommel in North Africa - Battle of El Alamein
and Tobruk then through the Middle East and finally Italy. Witnessed the
bombing at Monte Casino. He told me he saw Charles Upham being presented
with his VC - one of 2 he received - and said he was the most humble of
soldiers and embarrassed by all the pomp and ceremony.

My uncle was captured by the Germans in Crete and sent to work on farms in
Poland. A talented musician, he received a piano accordion that was sent to
their prison camp by the Pope to boost morale. It was lost during their
release at the end of WW2, but returned to him about ten years ago. He
recently returned to the village where he had been a farm labourer during
the war. An elderly woman ran up to him and cried out "Cliff ! ... Cliff !"
Incredible that she still recognised him after 50 years absence.

My mother, aged in her late teens, lived in Melbourne, Australia. In her
spare time she was a Concert Party dancer entertaining troops who were on
leave. She met my father on his way back to NZ after the war.
Her father was a radio operator who assisted Charles Kingsford Smith with
communications when he flew around Australia. I very much regret not
tracking down my grandfather before he died.

Cheers,
John

[David Hartung[_3_]]

SHIVER ME TIMBERS wrote:
> Well after watching the Ken Burns series THE WAR ad naseum ad naseum,
> I thought I'd come into the group today with one of my curious questions.
>
> What did your parents, family, etc. do in the big WWII.
>
> Mine worked at the Canada Car foundry in what was then called
> Fort William, Ontario.
>
> They were inspectors helping to make Hawker Hurricanes and later other
> types of figthers including the Curtis Helldiver.
>
> How about your folks.....

I must have some young parents. Both my parents were still in school. Dad
graduated high school in 1948, and joined the USAF about 1950. Dad was in the
pipeline to go to Korea as an F84 pilot when the Armistice happened.

[HEMI-Powered[_4_]]

SHIVER ME TIMBERS added these comments in the current discussion
du jour ...

> Well after watching the Ken Burns series THE WAR ad naseum ad
> naseum, I thought I'd come into the group today with one of my
> curious questions.
>
> What did your parents, family, etc. do in the big WWII.
>
> Mine worked at the Canada Car foundry in what was then called
> Fort William, Ontario.
>
> They were inspectors helping to make Hawker Hurricanes and
> later other types of figthers including the Curtis Helldiver.
>
> How about your folks.....
>
If you recognize my handle, and my name, Jerry Rivers, then you
know my father fought on Saipan and Tinian, and is pictured in Joe
Rosenthal's follow-on group "gung ho" photograph after the 2nd flag
raising on Mt. Suribachi. I shan't repost my pictures as
(apparently) it annoys some folks around here.

--
HP, aka Jerry

[HEMI-Powered[_4_]]

Eric added these comments in the current discussion du jour ...

> I never found out exactly what my father did, other than he
> and my grandfather were electricians for the "government" (as
> they called it) in New Mexico during the last couple years of
> the war. I have several pictures of them in the desert
> without any sort of landmarks in the shots.

Eric, did you suffer the loss of your father either during the
war or when you were too young to remember his story?

> My mother worked at a factory in Saint Louis, to this day, she
> has never talked about it.
>
>
> "SHIVER ME TIMBERS" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Well after watching the Ken Burns series THE WAR ad naseum ad
>> naseum, I thought I'd come into the group today with one of
>> my curious questions.
>>
>> What did your parents, family, etc. do in the big WWII.
>>
>> Mine worked at the Canada Car foundry in what was then called
>> Fort William, Ontario.
>>
>> They were inspectors helping to make Hawker Hurricanes and
>> later other types of figthers including the Curtis Helldiver.
>>
>> How about your folks.....
>
>
>



--
HP, aka Jerry

[HEMI-Powered[_4_]]

Dan Edwards added these comments in the current discussion du
jour ...

>> How about your folks.....
>
> My grandfather was a 1Lt. in the U.S. Army Infantry, Americal
> Division, Pacific theater during WWII
>
Dan, have you made any headway in your search for your
grandfather's history?

--
HP, aka Jerry

[HEMI-Powered[_4_]]

David Hartung added these comments in the current discussion du
jour ...

>> How about your folks.....
>
> I must have some young parents. Both my parents were still in
> school. Dad graduated high school in 1948, and joined the USAF
> about 1950. Dad was in the pipeline to go to Korea as an F84
> pilot when the Armistice happened.
>
My father was over 30 when he was drafted into the Marines in mid-
1943, I was born in 1947. Many of my friends' fathers were much
younger, so it was their grandfather that fought in WWII. All of my
uncles on both sides of my family were WWII vets. One was wounded
in the Battle of the Bulge, all the others were in the Navy. My
Uncle Joe was the 20mm gunner on the bow of the USS Massachusetts.

As to Korea, my father's best friend from the Marines decided to
stay in the active reserve and tried unsuccessfully to convince my
father to join with him. Turns out that Dad was "smarter", as his
friend was called up in the early days of Korea.

--
HP, aka Jerry

[Andrew Chaplin]

"Andrew Chaplin" > wrote in message
...
> "SHIVER ME TIMBERS" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Well after watching the Ken Burns series THE WAR ad naseum ad naseum,
>> I thought I'd come into the group today with one of my curious questions.
>>
>> What did your parents, family, etc. do in the big WWII.
>>
>> Mine worked at the Canada Car foundry in what was then called
>> Fort William, Ontario.
>>
>> They were inspectors helping to make Hawker Hurricanes and later other
>> types of figthers including the Curtis Helldiver.
>>
>> How about your folks.....
>
> Dad was a Canadian in the RN operating radar. Mum was a student at Lisgar
> Collegiate Institute learning, among other things, to shoot in case push
> came
> to shove (the school had an indoor range on its fourth floor) and
> occasionally
> babysitting Adrienne Poy. Maternal grandfather was a sergeant in the Black
> Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada, until he was hit by a truck in
> the
> blackout in England and crippled. His wife was a social worker in Ottawa,
> working with families who had lost loved ones or who were having them
> returned
> as wounded. Paternal grandfather ran the timber mechanics laboratory at
> Princes Risborough for the Royal Aircraft Establishment, and was the man
> who,
> before the war, proved the concept for the plywood construction of the
> Mosquito. His wife ran the household and prayed for a son running an oil
> refinery in Egypt, another leading a troop in the Royal Canadian Hussars,
> and
> for my dad in the RN (she was spared having to worry much about her
> daughter,
> whom they packed off back to Canada in 1939 to finish her schooling in
> Montréal).

Leading Seaman Philip Alfred Conrad Chaplin ashore in Mombasa, Kenya, between
his stint in battleship QUEEN ELIZABETH and in submarine depot ship ADAMANT.
--
Andrew Chaplin
SIT MIHI GLADIUS SICUT SANCTO MARTINO
(If you're going to e-mail me, you'll have to get "yourfinger." out.)

[Chezelwig]

On 2007-11-05 05:49:51 -0600, "HEMI-Powered" > said:

> SHIVER ME TIMBERS added these comments in the current discussion
> du jour ...
>
>> Well after watching the Ken Burns series THE WAR ad naseum ad
>> naseum, I thought I'd come into the group today with one of my
>> curious questions.
>>
>> What did your parents, family, etc. do in the big WWII.
>>
>> Mine worked at the Canada Car foundry in what was then called
>> Fort William, Ontario.
>>
>> They were inspectors helping to make Hawker Hurricanes and
>> later other types of figthers including the Curtis Helldiver.
>>
>> How about your folks.....
>>
> If you recognize my handle, and my name, Jerry Rivers, then you
> know my father fought on Saipan and Tinian, and is pictured in Joe
> Rosenthal's follow-on group "gung ho" photograph after the 2nd flag
> raising on Mt. Suribachi. I shan't repost my pictures as
> (apparently) it annoys some folks around here.

My father was Supply Officer for the 73rd FS (Bar Flies). In 1944 he
became Supply Officer for the group (318th FG - yes, he ordered the
paint for the -real- "2 Big and Too Heavy").

My mother was a Public Health Nurse in Springfield, IL.

One of his brothers flew cargo aircraft (C-46s in North Africa). He
would "drop by" England to datethe lady who became my aunt, who was a
Londener.

His other brother was a civilian engineer reparing submarines.

His father worked at Western Electric, in Cicero, IL.

My mother's parents worked in Hanford, Oregon - my grandfather was a
Carpenter and my grandmother a House Mother. They were native to
Springfield, IL.

[Frank from Deeetroit]

"SHIVER ME TIMBERS" > wrote in message
...
> Well after watching the Ken Burns series THE WAR ad naseum ad naseum,
> I thought I'd come into the group today with one of my curious questions.
>
> What did your parents, family, etc. do in the big WWII.
>
> Mine worked at the Canada Car foundry in what was then called
> Fort William, Ontario.
>
> They were inspectors helping to make Hawker Hurricanes and later other
> types of figthers including the Curtis Helldiver.
>
> How about your folks.....

My mother rivited radio operators seat mounts and camera mounts in B-24's at
the Willow Run Bomber Plant. She gave a speech at the Yankee Air Museum,
across the field from the Willow Run Bomber Plant when the US Postal Service
issued a commerative stamp to honor all of the "Rosie the Riviters" in 1999.
She also appeard in a Modern Marvels episode about aircraft production in
WWII.

My uncle was a B-17 flight engineer in New Mexico under the command of the
late singer John Denver's father.

Another uncle landed at Normandy and fought to, and through the Battle of
the Bulge.

One aunt worked at Packard Motor's plant in Detroit making Rolls Royce
Merlin engine cylinder heads. Two other aunts worked at Ford Rouge making
other items for the war effort, possibly making machine gun mounts.

My father was still living in Ireland during WWII.

[Jacques & Laurie[_2_]]

"SHIVER ME TIMBERS" > wrote in message
...
> Well after watching the Ken Burns series THE WAR ad naseum ad naseum,
> I thought I'd come into the group today with one of my curious questions.
>
> What did your parents, family, etc. do in the big WWII.
>
> Mine worked at the Canada Car foundry in what was then called
> Fort William, Ontario.
>
> They were inspectors helping to make Hawker Hurricanes and later other
> types of figthers including the Curtis Helldiver.
>
> How about your folks.....
My father was in the RCAF during the war. He enlisted in 1939 and was
honourably discharged in 1946. He was in a Repair and Recovery Squadron
(don't happen to know which one though). He and his brother older brother
Roger ended in England in the same squadron (somehow) and served together
for the rest of the war in France, Belgium, Germany.

His two other brothers served in the RCAF (Maurice and Andre) in Canada and
in Newfoundland.

[Frank[_2_]]

SHIVER ME TIMBERS > wrote in news:shiver-
:

> Well after watching the Ken Burns series THE WAR ad naseum ad naseum,
> I thought I'd come into the group today with one of my curious questions.
>
> What did your parents, family, etc. do in the big WWII.
>
> Mine worked at the Canada Car foundry in what was then called
> Fort William, Ontario.
>
> They were inspectors helping to make Hawker Hurricanes and later other
> types of figthers including the Curtis Helldiver.
>
> How about your folks.....

My dad was in reserved employment in Edinburgh, but was in the Home Guard
(appropriately Dad's Army). Don't know how he did it but he started with
one stripe on his uniform, next week there were three and the week after he
had a pip (Leftenant) on his epaulettes. He told stories of practicing
street fighting on Prices Street on a busy afternoon. That was when they
only had wooden toy guns for practice and had to shout "Bang" as loudly as
they could. How we ever won that war ....?

[David Hartung[_3_]]

HEMI-Powered wrote:
> David Hartung added these comments in the current discussion du
> jour ...
>
>>> How about your folks.....
>> I must have some young parents. Both my parents were still in
>> school. Dad graduated high school in 1948, and joined the USAF
>> about 1950. Dad was in the pipeline to go to Korea as an F84
>> pilot when the Armistice happened.
>>
> My father was over 30 when he was drafted into the Marines in mid-
> 1943, I was born in 1947. Many of my friends' fathers were much
> younger, so it was their grandfather that fought in WWII. All of my
> uncles on both sides of my family were WWII vets. One was wounded
> in the Battle of the Bulge, all the others were in the Navy. My
> Uncle Joe was the 20mm gunner on the bow of the USS Massachusetts.
>
> As to Korea, my father's best friend from the Marines decided to
> stay in the active reserve and tried unsuccessfully to convince my
> father to join with him. Turns out that Dad was "smarter", as his
> friend was called up in the early days of Korea.

My Dad's dad served in the Marines during WWI. To my knowledge, he never saw
combat. My Mom's dad was a Lutheran school principle, and my guess is that he
was on the high side of 40 in 1941. He also had, at that time, 5 kids. I'm not
certain if that had any bearing on his service status or not.

[Eric]

I lost him when I was 7 and my grandfather when I was 43. My grandfather
never said anything other they worked for the "government."

"HEMI-Powered" > wrote in message
.. .
> Eric added these comments in the current discussion du jour ...
>
>> I never found out exactly what my father did, other than he
>> and my grandfather were electricians for the "government" (as
>> they called it) in New Mexico during the last couple years of
>> the war. I have several pictures of them in the desert
>> without any sort of landmarks in the shots.
>
> Eric, did you suffer the loss of your father either during the
> war or when you were too young to remember his story?
>
>> My mother worked at a factory in Saint Louis, to this day, she
>> has never talked about it.
>>
>>
>> "SHIVER ME TIMBERS" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> Well after watching the Ken Burns series THE WAR ad naseum ad
>>> naseum, I thought I'd come into the group today with one of
>>> my curious questions.
>>>
>>> What did your parents, family, etc. do in the big WWII.
>>>
>>> Mine worked at the Canada Car foundry in what was then called
>>> Fort William, Ontario.
>>>
>>> They were inspectors helping to make Hawker Hurricanes and
>>> later other types of figthers including the Curtis Helldiver.
>>>
>>> How about your folks.....
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
> --
> HP, aka Jerry

[HEMI-Powered[_2_]]

David Hartung added these comments in the current discussion du
jour ...

> HEMI-Powered wrote:
>> My father was over 30 when he was drafted into the Marines in
>> mid- 1943, I was born in 1947. Many of my friends' fathers
>> were much younger, so it was their grandfather that fought in
>> WWII. All of my uncles on both sides of my family were WWII
>> vets. One was wounded in the Battle of the Bulge, all the
>> others were in the Navy. My Uncle Joe was the 20mm gunner on
>> the bow of the USS Massachusetts.
>>
> My Dad's dad served in the Marines during WWI.

WWI?! Wow, he must've been even older than my father, who was
born in 1913 and passed away in 1998.

> To my knowledge, he never saw combat. My Mom's dad was
> a Lutheran
> school principle, and my guess is that he was on the high side
> of 40 in 1941. He also had, at that time, 5 kids. I'm not
> certain if that had any bearing on his service status or not.
>
If you really meant WWII, yes, I believe that the draft extended
to about 42, although I didn't think the Marines took men that
old. 30-ish is VERY old to withstand the rigors of WWII-style
Boot Camp, which was 11 weeks long, and in those days, DIs could
actually hit a boot. Not to injure them, of course, but they
might cold cock an errant trainee. And, in them days, they
definitely marched boots in either the desert areas of San Diego,
where my father went, or the swamps of Parris Island with the
proverbial bucket over their head. Sometime in the late
1950s/early 1960s the corporal punishment was banned as was a
bucket on the head after several boots fell in a hole in the
Parris Island swamp and drowned.

I also remember my father telling stories even as I was a young
child in the early 1950s to wit "we have only 11 weeks to train
you to fight an enemy that's been training for 20 or 30 years.
And, in those days, just about everyone also went to Infantry
training at Camp Pendleton. As you probably know, ALL Marines,
regardless of actual training specialty - my father was a "6x6" 2
1/2 ton truck driver - were riflemen. The reason he wound up in
Shrier's patrol that assaulted Mt. Suribachi is that there was
little for a truck driver to do prior to it's being taken. AFAIK,
he then was assigned to assist the Navy Sea Bees to build runways
and a transportation system. I have documented proof that he was
also still on Iwo on 21May45, two months after the island was
secured. He first supported Marines on occupation duty and later
Army personnel. I also remember his stories that into at least
April, maybe May, he would occasionally get sniped at driving on
cat eyes at night.

--
HP, aka Jerry

[HEMI-Powered[_2_]]

Eric added these comments in the current discussion du jour ...

> I lost him when I was 7 and my grandfather when I was 43. My
> grandfather never said anything other they worked for the
> "government."

I'm very sorry to hear about your loss at such a tender age,
Eric. In my case, my mother used to say that my father's Guardian
Angel was watching over him. He was a part of the larger 5th
Marine Amphibious Corps which was slated to invade the southern
most island of Japan on 1Nov45, and undoubtedly the atomic bombs
saved him. It is hard for me to believe he could beat the odds of
neither being killed (obviously, else I wouldn't be here) or
wounded a 4th time.

If you have ANY documentation about your relatives, you can write
to the Marines for such things as their discharge certificates,
re-issue of medals, combat ribbons, unit citations, and the like.
In my case, that stuff survived but I am still trying to get more
documentation that can only be found in what were then called
"muster reports", what was later called a "morning report" when I
was in the Army circa 1970-72, basically who was present in which
unit(s), campaigns, etc.

>>> I never found out exactly what my father did, other than he
>>> and my grandfather were electricians for the "government"
>>> (as they called it) in New Mexico during the last couple
>>> years of the war. I have several pictures of them in the
>>> desert without any sort of landmarks in the shots.
>>
>> Eric, did you suffer the loss of your father either during
>> the war or when you were too young to remember his story?

--
HP, aka Jerry

[HEMI-Powered[_2_]]

Frank from Deeetroit added these comments in the current
discussion du jour ...

> My mother rivited radio operators seat mounts and camera
> mounts in B-24's at the Willow Run Bomber Plant. She gave a
> speech at the Yankee Air Museum, across the field from the
> Willow Run Bomber Plant when the US Postal Service issued a
> commerative stamp to honor all of the "Rosie the Riviters" in
> 1999. She also appeard in a Modern Marvels episode about
> aircraft production in WWII.

Willow Run is about 30 miles SW of me. I live in a NNW suburb of
Detroit, MI, about 19 miles from the Detroit River.

> My uncle was a B-17 flight engineer in New Mexico under the
> command of the late singer John Denver's father.

Now this is an interesting piece of information!

> Another uncle landed at Normandy and fought to, and through
> the Battle of the Bulge.
>
> One aunt worked at Packard Motor's plant in Detroit making
> Rolls Royce Merlin engine cylinder heads. Two other aunts
> worked at Ford Rouge making other items for the war effort,
> possibly making machine gun mounts.
>
> My father was still living in Ireland during WWII.
>
--
HP, aka Jerry

[Frank from Deeetroit]

"HEMI-Powered" > wrote in message
...
> David Hartung added these comments in the current discussion du
> jour ...
>
>> HEMI-Powered wrote:
>>> My father was over 30 when he was drafted into the Marines in
>>> mid- 1943, I was born in 1947. Many of my friends' fathers
>>> were much younger, so it was their grandfather that fought in
>>> WWII. All of my uncles on both sides of my family were WWII
>>> vets. One was wounded in the Battle of the Bulge, all the
>>> others were in the Navy. My Uncle Joe was the 20mm gunner on
>>> the bow of the USS Massachusetts.
>>>
>> My Dad's dad served in the Marines during WWI.
>
> WWI?! Wow, he must've been even older than my father, who was
> born in 1913 and passed away in 1998.
>
>> To my knowledge, he never saw combat. My Mom's dad was
>> a Lutheran
>> school principle, and my guess is that he was on the high side
>> of 40 in 1941. He also had, at that time, 5 kids. I'm not
>> certain if that had any bearing on his service status or not.
>>
> If you really meant WWII, yes, I believe that the draft extended
> to about 42, although I didn't think the Marines took men that
> old. 30-ish is VERY old to withstand the rigors of WWII-style
> Boot Camp, which was 11 weeks long, and in those days, DIs could
> actually hit a boot. Not to injure them, of course, but they
> might cold cock an errant trainee. And, in them days, they
> definitely marched boots in either the desert areas of San Diego,
> where my father went, or the swamps of Parris Island with the
> proverbial bucket over their head. Sometime in the late
> 1950s/early 1960s the corporal punishment was banned as was a
> bucket on the head after several boots fell in a hole in the
> Parris Island swamp and drowned.
>
> I also remember my father telling stories even as I was a young
> child in the early 1950s to wit "we have only 11 weeks to train
> you to fight an enemy that's been training for 20 or 30 years.
> And, in those days, just about everyone also went to Infantry
> training at Camp Pendleton. As you probably know, ALL Marines,
> regardless of actual training specialty - my father was a "6x6" 2
> 1/2 ton truck driver - were riflemen. The reason he wound up in
> Shrier's patrol that assaulted Mt. Suribachi is that there was
> little for a truck driver to do prior to it's being taken. AFAIK,
> he then was assigned to assist the Navy Sea Bees to build runways
> and a transportation system. I have documented proof that he was
> also still on Iwo on 21May45, two months after the island was
> secured. He first supported Marines on occupation duty and later
> Army personnel. I also remember his stories that into at least
> April, maybe May, he would occasionally get sniped at driving on
> cat eyes at night.
>
> --
> HP, aka Jerry

Ooops, forgot about my 90 year old uncle in southern Michigan.

He was in the Army from 1935'ish to 1938'ish, stationed in Hawaii, Honorably
Discharged, and was drafted back into the Army in 1942 to 1945. He trained
in Southern California and served in several locations in the South Pacific.

He still has his Campaign hat from his first tour in the Army, saw it 3
weeks ago.

[John Szalay]

SHIVER ME TIMBERS > wrote in
:

> Well after watching the Ken Burns series THE WAR ad naseum ad naseum,
> I thought I'd come into the group today with one of my curious
> questions.
>
> What did your parents, family, etc. do in the big WWII.
>
> Mine worked at the Canada Car foundry in what was then called
> Fort William, Ontario.
>
> They were inspectors helping to make Hawker Hurricanes and later other
> types of figthers including the Curtis Helldiver.
>
> How about your folks.....
>

My Dad was a coast artilleryman assigned to Ft Derussy in Hawaii on Dec
7th, served in Hawaii the entire war. 55h Coast Artillery.

my mom was a member of the Woman's aux. in Hawaii until 1943 when she
withdrew to marry.

my fathers sister sewed fabric for the Grumman aircraft control surfaces
produced in New York. her husband worked for ASR in the smelter
producing Copper My wifes dad worked of aluminum producers making parts
for the B-29.

[John Szalay]

John Szalay > wrote in
> My Dad was a coast artilleryman assigned to Ft Derussy in Hawaii on Dec
> 7th, served in Hawaii the entire war. 55h Coast Artillery.
>

Forgot the photo. he is front row, third from the truck.

[John Szalay]

John Szalay > wrote in
42:

> John Szalay > wrote in
>> My Dad was a coast artilleryman assigned to Ft Derussy in Hawaii on Dec
>> 7th, served in Hawaii the entire war. 55h Coast Artillery.
>>
>
> Forgot the photo. he is front row, third from the truck.
> 1940

ooops too big.. resized..

[John Szalay]

[Arnaud Demay]

SHIVER ME TIMBERS a écrit :
> Well after watching the Ken Burns series THE WAR ad naseum ad naseum,
> I thought I'd come into the group today with one of my curious questions.
>
> What did your parents, family, etc. do in the big WWII.
>
> Mine worked at the Canada Car foundry in what was then called
> Fort William, Ontario.
>
> They were inspectors helping to make Hawker Hurricanes and later other
> types of figthers including the Curtis Helldiver.
>
> How about your folks.....

My Grand father was french resistant
chief of the ftp's bataillon of chabenet
he was re integraded in the army after the war with the rank of captain

regars

[Luke]

"SHIVER ME TIMBERS" > wrote in message
...

Born in December of 1931, my father was too young to serve during the
big war. He enlisted in the newly formed U.S. Air Force in Jun, 1949. Dad
served 20 years before retiring and starting his second career in 1970 as a
state police officer here in Idaho.
Mother was born in Sept of 1935 and only had distant memories of the
days of the big war.
Myself and both of my brothers all served in the USAF as well, although
none of us did 20 years.


Luke

[Farfar]

On Sun, 04 Nov 2007 19:41:05 GMT, SHIVER ME TIMBERS
> wrote:


>
>How about your folks.....


Mom and Dad met at the Torpedo Station, Newport, RI.
Dad could not enlist because of bad eyes. So he made torpedoes
like his brother (WWI) and father. Mom quit the sewing mills and
joined the war effort running a milling machine. They were married
in 1949 and celebrated their 50th 9 months before Dad passed on.
Mom is 84 (ssh don't tell her I said so) and is still a sparkplug.

[Paul Elliot]

Dustoff wrote:
> Also I forgot one of my uncles was in the south paciffic but have no idea
> where or what they did, or what bracch he was in.. My Aunt's husbands
> brother was in the Army Air Corp during the war I do have pictures where he
> was stationed in Austrailia and New Guinea.
>
>
> "Dustoff" > wrote in message
> ...
>> "SHIVER ME TIMBERS" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> Well after watching the Ken Burns series THE WAR ad naseum ad naseum,
>>> I thought I'd come into the group today with one of my curious questions.
>>>
>>> What did your parents, family, etc. do in the big WWII.
>>>
>>> Mine worked at the Canada Car foundry in what was then called
>>> Fort William, Ontario.
>>>
>>> They were inspectors helping to make Hawker Hurricanes and later other
>>> types of figthers including the Curtis Helldiver.
>>>
>>> How about your folks.....
>> My Father tried to enlist in the army, they rejected him because his right
>> forearm was about 3/4 inch shorter than his left forearm. That was due to
>> his right forearm had been broken when the saddle on the horse slipped and
>> he ended up under the horse and he fell out of the saddle and the horse
>> stepped on his right arm breaking it. The army doctors rejected him
>> because they believe that he would have problems pulling the trigger on
>> their rifles. He did however work for the war effort by getting a job
>> where they built PTO boats.
>>
>
>
Dad enlisted in the Coast Guard in 1939 (IIRC), bootstrapped into the
C.G. Academy after Dec.7, serving mostly in the South Pacific on escort
duty on the Winnebago and the Taney. He was badly injured in an engine
room accident, but no combat injuries. Attained the rank of Lt jg. Mom
was a College student until they were married just before the end of the
war.

--
Heaven is where the police are British, the chefs Italian, the mechanics
German, the lovers French and it is all organized by the Swiss.

Hell is where the police are German, the chefs British, the mechanics
French, the lovers Swiss and it is all organized by Italians.

http://new.photos.yahoo.com/paul1cart/albums/

[Grumpy AuContraire[_2_]]

Guy wrote:

>>How about your folks.....
>
>
> My father was forced by the fascist regime to fight in Africa and Balcans to
> conquire the "empire" and , in the progess, he met also with a bullet in
> the
> chest. After 8-11-1943 he letf, and joined the resistance against the nazi
> which had occupied Italy. He knew English language so he was given the radio
> comunications with the Britts and Americans (whom we will never end to thank
> for what they did) until the end of the war in april 45.He died in 1972.
>
>


A lot of thanks is due to those who worked the underground in Europe
during the war. Your post was truly inspiring.

JT

[muff528]

"Guy" > wrote in message
...
>
>> How about your folks.....
>
> My father was forced by the fascist regime to fight in Africa and Balcans
> to
> conquire the "empire" and , in the progess, he met also with a bullet in
> the
> chest. After 8-11-1943 he letf, and joined the resistance against the nazi
> which had occupied Italy. He knew English language so he was given the
> radio
> comunications with the Britts and Americans (whom we will never end to
> thank
> for what they did) until the end of the war in april 45.He died in 1972.
>

My grandfather was sent by his family in Sicily to the US as skies were
darkening in Europe just prior to WW1. He was about 17 and entered through
Ellis Island. He rolled cigars in Tampa and farmed in Central Florida for a
living. After Pearl Harbor, when Dad tried to convince my grandfather to
allow him to enlist in the USAAC, my grandfather resisted angrily. He was
concerned that Dad may end up bombing Italy. Dad had seen newsreels at the
movies that convinced him that being drafted into the infantry was not for
him. My grandfather finally relented and Dad enlisted in the Air Corps.
Fortunately he was sent to England rather than Italy.

Also, Dad's cousin, who served aboard the USS New York BB-34, jokingly
refers to his job as "tailgunner". I have an uncle who served in the
Pacific aboard the Escort Carrier USS Tulagi CVE-72. Another uncle served in
the 3rd Army directly under Patton and participated in the Battle of the
Bulge. I'm trying to find out more about his service history. Dad's uncle
(Uncle Sam!) was an armorer at a P-38 base in England and he and Dad were
able to occasionally visit while in England.

Tony P.

[Andrew B]

"SHIVER ME TIMBERS" > wrote in message
...
> Well after watching the Ken Burns series THE WAR ad naseum ad naseum,
> I thought I'd come into the group today with one of my curious questions.
>
> What did your parents, family, etc. do in the big WWII.
>

Dad was orphaned when his father was killed at Esnes France (1914) within
days of getting there and his mother was killed getting off a tram so he
joined the Royal Tank Corps asap (1932) and spent time in the North West
Frontier of India as it was then.

On leaving the service (May 1938) he joined Manchester Fire Brigade.

He was recalled in December 1939 to the Royal Tank Corps but they found
out he was a fireman and transferred him to the Army Fire Service
which he was very unhappy about at the time (losing his beret).

He was Officer Commanding 151 Army Fire Company in North Africa in 1943,
then appointed Staff Captain (Fire) Algiers Sub District in 1944.

He was transferred to the Staff Pool at Allied Forces HQ C.M.F. (Italy) in
September 1944, promoted and moved to 15 Army Group to act as
Deputy to ADAFS then in 1945 he assumed command of Army Fire Services, CMF.
He was MID in May 1946 and was returned to the U.K. in August 1947.

On return he was appointed Command Fire Officer, Western Command and Officer
Commanding 852 Army Fire Company then In 1952 he was posted MELF as Chief
Inspector of Fire Services (Egypt, Cyprus, Malta). In January 1954 he
completed his service with H.M. Forces.

This has been gathered from his records as, like so many, he was reluctant
to say terribly much about WWII.

------------------------------

Reading other peoples replies and thinking of the numbers of people from so
many nations it concentrates the mind on the debt that everyone owes to
every single person involved, directly or indirectly.

It is also true that we continue to owe so many people who are still
operating to maintain our freedoms.

--
Andrew

"Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible."
(Lord Kelvin, president, Royal Society, 1895.)

[Lonnie J. Potter]

"Leonard Oglesby" <lencsgt@{NO SPAM}lightspeed.net> wrote in message
news:2007110518173643658-lencsgt@NOSPAMlightspeednet...
> On 2007-11-04 21:18:55 -0800, Leonard Oglesby <lencsgt@{NO
> SPAM}lightspeed.net> said:
>
>>
>> On 2007-11-04 11:41:05 -0800, SHIVER ME TIMBERS >
>> said:
>>
>>> Well after watching the Ken Burns series THE WAR ad naseum ad naseum, I
>>> thought I'd come into the group today with one of my curious questions.
>>>
>>> What did your parents, family, etc. do in the big WWII.
>>>
>>> Mine worked at the Canada Car foundry in what was then called Fort
>>> William, Ontario.
>>>
>>> They were inspectors helping to make Hawker Hurricanes and later other
>>> types of figthers including the Curtis Helldiver.
>>>
>>> How about your folks.....
>>
>> My father flew P-47s and P-38s in the SW Pacific, New Guinea, Leyte,
>> Linguyan, Okinawa with the 9th FS, 49th Fighter Group, 5th Air Force
>> 1943-1945.
>
> On August 21, 1945 Dad flew as part of the P38 escort for the
> "Surrender" Betties on their return flight from Ie Shima back to Kyushu.
> He was also a member of the Honor Guard flight which flew into Japan on
> August 29 1945 prior to the signing of the Surrender documents on the
> USS Missouri on September 2, 1945, Making the 9th Fighter Squadron of
> the 49th Fighter Group the first USAAF tactical unit to land on Japan.
>
> Here is a piece from the 9th Fighter Squadron History, "The Flying
> Knights";
>
> "On Wednesday, 29 August, twenty-five airplanes received
> preliminary loading of C-rations, cots, blankets, and pilots'
> clothes. At first sixteen planes were to make the trip as the
> honor squadron then the number was upped to twenty-five,
> and finally down to eight. The eight oldest pilots in the
> squadron, all veterans of the Leyte Campaign and two
> second tour boys form Gusap, took off with a four plane
> additional escort at 1200 hours, 30 August 1945. Major
> Petrovich, squadron C.O., led the flight with Lt. Corley flying
> his wing. S/Sgt. Serapin was riding piggy-back in Corley's
> ship. Lt. Oglesby, veteran of 150 missions and 400 combat
> hours with four Nips to his credit and then on his second
> tour of duty flew Red Flight Element. Lt. Gribble, veteran of
> the Leyte scrap, flew number four. Captain Howes, with over
> 598 combat hours and four Nips destroyed in aerial combat
> under his belt led White Flight with Captain Clark flying his
> wing. Lt. Poston, who returned to combat with Oglesby
> when stateside flying proved too dull, led White Flight
> Element with Lt. Smith, back just south of Kyushu and the
> eight original planes winged on thru a clear sky, though
> thunderheads and towering cumulus hovered over the
> mountains to the west. Three and one-half hours out,
> towering Fujiyama became visible through the haze ahead,
> its top hidden in clouds, as the flat, green plains of the
> Atsumu-Hanto peninsula passed under the left wing. The
> flights landed at Atsugi Airstrip, southeast of Tokyo, at 1615
> hours and were parked by Colonel Gerald Johnson, former
> group commander, then operations officer of the first
> American airstrip in Japan, in a grassy field just north of the
> strip.
> A Jap truck, drive by an American GI, drove up and the
> baggage and personnel loaded aboard. The truck drove past
> a number of "Jacks" in apparently good condition, past the
> partially damaged hangars housing 11th Airborne personnel,
> and in a few minutes, pulled up in front of an unpainted,
> two-story, wooden barracks building that served as
> headquarters for the 63rd Service Squadron. A few minutes
> later the pilots were stowing their gear in two-men rooms of
> a similar wooden structure not far away, one of a row of GI
> barracks very like the American version. A few differences
> could be noted upon inspection, mainly in toilet and bathing
> facilities. The oriental version of a latrine provided no
> support to the user and the shower bath was replaced by the
> community pool, complete with round wooden buckets and
> stools on which the bather sat while dipping water from the
> cement hot water tanks on the side. All furniture, desks,
> mirror heights, etc., were scaled to the shorter oriental
> stature.
> The Japanese had provided a mess hall, which was to operate
> until V-J Day, equipped with white linen table cloths,
> chinaware and floral centerpieces. Polite, if non-committal
> Japanese waiters served the dinner, consisting of soup, cold
> plate meat and fish, potatoes, peas and one quart of Japanese
> beer per man. The beer, very much like Australian brew, was
> excellent.
> Thus it was; the senior pilots of the "Flying Knights" moved
> in one month from the peaceful shores of Lingayen to the
> midst of the turmoil of occupying the heart of Japan, 1,800
> miles to the north. So far as was known at the time, the outfit
> had flown its last combat mission of the war, suitable
> enough arriving in the van at the enemy capital."
>
>
>
> --
> ð¹
>

My Dad was too young for WWII service as he's 74 this past October 16th, but
he can remember them announcing Pearl Harbor in the newspaper and on the
radio. My Mom doesn't remember it much at all as she was raised on a very
small farm about 15 minutes from where I currently reside in Kentucky. I
have an Uncle was a medic in a field hospital somewhere in New Guinea
though. My Grandfather was a "track watcher" for the local railroad keeping
an eye out for sabotage, while my Grandmother was busy trying to raise 13
kids. Guess you could say when Granpappy wasn't watchin' the tracks, he was
watchin' Granmammy have another kid. LOL

--
Lonnie


*Photo Attached:

Specialist 4th Class James R. Potter
United States Army (1954-1956)
Basic Training at Ft. Knox, KY
Overseas Assignment to Pirmasens, Germany
MOS: Field Wireman/Pole Line Construction

****Note: In 1989, I used to operate radios off the antennae he helped
erect back in the mid 50's. Wow!!!

[Lonnie J. Potter]

Dustoff, I would like to see if my Uncle would be in some of those photos if
you could scan them and post them.

Thanks,

Lonnie

"Dustoff" > wrote in message
...
> Also I forgot one of my uncles was in the south paciffic but have no idea
> where or what they did, or what bracch he was in.. My Aunt's husbands
> brother was in the Army Air Corp during the war I do have pictures where
> he was stationed in Austrailia and New Guinea.
>
>
> "Dustoff" > wrote in message
> ...
>>
>> "SHIVER ME TIMBERS" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> Well after watching the Ken Burns series THE WAR ad naseum ad naseum,
>>> I thought I'd come into the group today with one of my curious
>>> questions.
>>>
>>> What did your parents, family, etc. do in the big WWII.
>>>
>>> Mine worked at the Canada Car foundry in what was then called
>>> Fort William, Ontario.
>>>
>>> They were inspectors helping to make Hawker Hurricanes and later other
>>> types of figthers including the Curtis Helldiver.
>>>
>>> How about your folks.....
>>
>> My Father tried to enlist in the army, they rejected him because his
>> right forearm was about 3/4 inch shorter than his left forearm. That was
>> due to his right forearm had been broken when the saddle on the horse
>> slipped and he ended up under the horse and he fell out of the saddle and
>> the horse stepped on his right arm breaking it. The army doctors
>> rejected him because they believe that he would have problems pulling the
>> trigger on their rifles. He did however work for the war effort by
>> getting a job where they built PTO boats.
>>
>
>

[Lonnie J. Potter]

In memory of one other veteran, my Baby Brother, Billy, who never even
graduated US Navy boot camp, but got an honorable discharge. I don't know
how, but I have seen his DD-214 and his certificate.

Lonnie

"Andrew B" > wrote in message
om...
>
> "SHIVER ME TIMBERS" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Well after watching the Ken Burns series THE WAR ad naseum ad naseum,
>> I thought I'd come into the group today with one of my curious questions.
>>
>> What did your parents, family, etc. do in the big WWII.
>>
>
> Dad was orphaned when his father was killed at Esnes France (1914) within
> days of getting there and his mother was killed getting off a tram so he
> joined the Royal Tank Corps asap (1932) and spent time in the North West
> Frontier of India as it was then.
>
> On leaving the service (May 1938) he joined Manchester Fire Brigade.
>
> He was recalled in December 1939 to the Royal Tank Corps but they found
> out he was a fireman and transferred him to the Army Fire Service
> which he was very unhappy about at the time (losing his beret).
>
> He was Officer Commanding 151 Army Fire Company in North Africa in 1943,
> then appointed Staff Captain (Fire) Algiers Sub District in 1944.
>
> He was transferred to the Staff Pool at Allied Forces HQ C.M.F. (Italy) in
> September 1944, promoted and moved to 15 Army Group to act as
> Deputy to ADAFS then in 1945 he assumed command of Army Fire Services,
> CMF.
> He was MID in May 1946 and was returned to the U.K. in August 1947.
>
> On return he was appointed Command Fire Officer, Western Command and
> Officer
> Commanding 852 Army Fire Company then In 1952 he was posted MELF as Chief
> Inspector of Fire Services (Egypt, Cyprus, Malta). In January 1954 he
> completed his service with H.M. Forces.
>
> This has been gathered from his records as, like so many, he was reluctant
> to say terribly much about WWII.
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Reading other peoples replies and thinking of the numbers of people from
> so
> many nations it concentrates the mind on the debt that everyone owes to
> every single person involved, directly or indirectly.
>
> It is also true that we continue to owe so many people who are still
> operating to maintain our freedoms.
>
> --
> Andrew
>
> "Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible."
> (Lord Kelvin, president, Royal Society, 1895.)
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

[RVB[_2_]]

Very interesting question !

I made a little study in France, answering this question a few decades
ago to my school collegues.
And surprisingly, the major part of them answered that their parents
were in the resistance !
Several very serious studies were made about the french population
during the WWII and all of them describe a population with 5%
resistants, 5% collaborationists and 90% of population without
enlisting who just went on their occupation.
I conclude that in all ways people takes the honor and the heroism of
the winners despite it has done nothing !

My parents were born during WWII. On my mother's side, my grand moyher
was innoccupied and my grand father was working in the railway french
national company. He worked in the way of the Vichy Government during
the main part of the WWII and enlisted the resistance in the very end
of the war. The Wehrmacht occupied their house between 1942 and 1944
and left rapidly when the allied landed in the South of France.
On my father's side my grand mother and my grand father were miner at
the pitface in the north-east of France.

--
---------------------
RVB -
http://www.cocardes.com .....aviation
http://www.hervebrun.com .....photo
;-)

[John Ewing]

"Peavey_HP_Signature_Guy" > wrote in message
...
> "SHIVER ME TIMBERS" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Well after watching the Ken Burns series THE WAR ad naseum ad naseum,
>> I thought I'd come into the group today with one of my curious questions.
>>
>> What did your parents, family, etc. do in the big WWII.
>>
>> Mine worked at the Canada Car foundry in what was then called
>> Fort William, Ontario.
>>
>> They were inspectors helping to make Hawker Hurricanes and later other
>> types of figthers including the Curtis Helldiver.
>>
>> How about your folks.....
>
> My Grandfather on my Dad's side was a US Army RN in France.
>
> My Grandfather on my Mom's side was a US Navy gunner on a destroyer
> stationed at Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked. His ship was 30
> minutes out of Pearl when they saw the Japanese formations and fired on
> them. Unfortunately, too far out of range for them to get any hits : (.
>
> My Wife's Grandmother on her Mom's side was a WASP and flew aircraft of
> all types all over the US.
>
> My Wife's Grandfather on her Dad's side was a US Army Lt Col and got a lot
> of footage (film) of Guadalcanal (it is gory!). He did video (film??) as
> a hobby and had his camera with him throughout. I know her family got the
> film transferred to VHS but we do not have a copy but have one on request.

Do get the VHS transferred to DVD (or if possible from the original film).
Any digital format it is much more stable than VHS tape.
The original can be restored later with any one of a number of software
programs.

Cheers,
John

[Richard Brooks]

My mother did firewatching on the top of the Super cinema in Oxford and
looking after Italian and German POWs who worked our land.

My father was in the Royal Navy and served on the ship with the dubious
honour of being the first combatant ship to be sunk in WWII although he
went on to serve on various ships after that including the unfortunate
HMS Trinidad.

[Victor Cassano]

My dad was an aircraft mechanic in the Navy. He spent most of his time in
the South Pacific wrenching Catalinas (Solomon Islands).

My mom was a teen in northern Italy. When the allied bombers flew over, she
could tell if she needed to find shelter or just watch. Listening to the
sound they made, heavy bomb filled planes groaned, empty ones zoomed at a
higher pitch.

Proud Son


"SHIVER ME TIMBERS" > wrote in message
...
> Well after watching the Ken Burns series THE WAR ad naseum ad naseum,
> I thought I'd come into the group today with one of my curious questions.
>
> What did your parents, family, etc. do in the big WWII.
>
> Mine worked at the Canada Car foundry in what was then called
> Fort William, Ontario.
>
> They were inspectors helping to make Hawker Hurricanes and later other
> types of figthers including the Curtis Helldiver.
>
> How about your folks.....

[Lonnie J. Potter]

The one on the left holding the beer stein at about waist level looks
familiar. Do you happen to know if he knew a Charles (Charlie) Potter from
Kentucky?

Lonnie

"Dustoff" > wrote in message
...
> Ok here is the one with US service personel, i just scanned it and
> enlarged it a bit so you can see the faces better
>
>
>
>

[Lonnie J. Potter]

I just showed the picture to my Uncle and you can now say that you have a
name to one of the faces. Pvt. Charles E. Potter, from Elizabethtown, KY.

Lonnie

"Dustoff" > wrote in message
...
> There were no names on the back of the photo. I have no idea who they were
> but it would be very interesting if I could find out. He has passed away
> and i don't know anyone who would know any of them. Sorry.
>
>
> "Lonnie J. Potter" > wrote in message
> .. .
>> The one on the left holding the beer stein at about waist level looks
>> familiar. Do you happen to know if he knew a Charles (Charlie) Potter
>> from Kentucky?
>>
>> Lonnie
>>
>> "Dustoff" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> Ok here is the one with US service personel, i just scanned it and
>>> enlarged it a bit so you can see the faces better
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>
>

[Andrew-S]

Shiver...
I have been away from the group for quite a little while and while catching
up on things I stumbled upon your interesting question...

My late uncle was an AA gunner on the escort carrier HMS Fencer. Very
briefly on board a destroyer and in fact saw HMS Hood shortly before her
tragic encounter with the Bismarck. The tale is had two or three kills
believed to be his

My parents are in fact survivors of the Battle of Britain. A row of houses
only a few streets down from my Dad's house where flattened, in one of the
few raids to hit the Leeds area of Yorkshire. Later in 1944 and 1945 he was
with the British 2nd Army in Germany. I know he was infantry at first but
ended his service in the Royal Army Pay Corp in the early 1950s.

My mother has memories of seeing a hill she was playing on only a few
minutes before erupt from machine gun fire during a low level dog fight.
She also has a story of a V1 passing over her house.

One of my God parents, is one of only 5 survivors of school that was
mistakenly bombed somewhere outside London.

There is also some talk in my family of a cousin who was in the RAF Bomber
Command. Apparently he participated in the 1000 bomber raids of Dresden,
Hamburg and the other cities that where subsequently "melted"

In a funny irony several years ago I was dating and incredibly beautiful
young girl who was from Dresden, and who's Grand dad was an AA gunner for
the German Army in the Dresden area. So two of our relatives where in all
likely hood hell bent on killing each other 60 plus years ago.

Again and interesting but also a very good question.

Andrew





"SHIVER ME TIMBERS" > wrote in message
...
> Well after watching the Ken Burns series THE WAR ad naseum ad naseum,
> I thought I'd come into the group today with one of my curious questions.
>
> What did your parents, family, etc. do in the big WWII.
>
> Mine worked at the Canada Car foundry in what was then called
> Fort William, Ontario.
>
> They were inspectors helping to make Hawker Hurricanes and later other
> types of figthers including the Curtis Helldiver.
>
> How about your folks.....

[Paul Elliot]

Dov wrote:
> SHIVER ME TIMBERS wrote:
>
>> Well after watching the Ken Burns series THE WAR ad naseum ad naseum,
>> What did your parents, family, etc. do in the big WWII.
>
>
> My dad was a teenager growing up in central France. On becoming 18 he went into
> hiding to avoid the STO slave labor. He and his buddy Jean went south to join
> the guerillas in the gorges-du-Lot maquis, whereas all the other youths of the
> village went north, to Mont Mouchet.
> Turned out that in the south the nazis didn't go after them, whereas at Mont
> Mouchet they were basically exterminated. Not one from the village came back.
>
>
> My Mom was still in school. Her elder brother evaded to Algeria to join the Free
> French Naval Forces. Served in the commandos on PT-type boats, landing at night
> to blow up radar stations and artillery on the Med coast. At the time of the
> Provence landing, his boat was sunk by a nazi plane, and he was the sole
> survivor. Was picked up by the FNFL after 3 days drifting in a dinghy. He never
> speaks about it, but he is deeply religious ever since this day.
>
>
> About weird events and blind luck: Grandpa had learnt to swim in his military
> service, and during ww2 he rescued a kid who was drowning in the local river.
> Turned out he was the son of the local chief of the nazi-puppet Vichy 'milice'.
> When Vichy ordered the militia to deport the Jewish families into nazi death
> camps, this fascist ******* zealously rounded up every family but spared ours.
>
>
> On my wife's side, uncle Frank served in the marines. Was in a ski unit and
> ended the war in Austria and at Berchtesgaden. Uncle Mickey was in the army and
> served in the Japan occupation after VE-day. They never talk about it either.
>
>
>
> My two elder brothers served in the 6-days war. The older one was a paratroop
> officer and got killed in the battle for Jerusalem. The younger one commanded a
> tank company. He was killed in the Sinai.
>
> I was too young for 6dw, and served in the attrition and kippur wars. Was hurt
> twice but the docs did a good job. Later got injured again in Levanon during op
> peace for Galil. This time too damaged to patch up, and discharged in 1983. I
> can walk almost normally again now, and consider myself the lucky one.
>
>
> My older kid is getting 14, and I wish so much that they wouldn't have to go
> through the same things. With hamas, fatah, hizbullah, Iran and in general the
> muslim fanatics, it looks worse than ever. Darn it.
>
> Dov.

God bless you and your family Dov. Freedom commands a high price, and
you've paid far more than your fair share.

--
Heaven is where the police are British, the chefs Italian, the mechanics
German, the lovers French and it is all organized by the Swiss.

Hell is where the police are German, the chefs British, the mechanics
French, the lovers Swiss and it is all organized by Italians.

http://new.photos.yahoo.com/paul1cart/albums/

[CWO4 Dave Mann]

Paul Elliot wrote:
> Dov wrote:
>> SHIVER ME TIMBERS wrote:
>>
>>> Well after watching the Ken Burns series THE WAR ad naseum ad naseum,
>>> What did your parents, family, etc. do in the big WWII.
>>
>>
>> My dad was a teenager growing up in central France. On becoming 18 he
>> went into
>> hiding to avoid the STO slave labor. He and his buddy Jean went south
>> to join
>> the guerillas in the gorges-du-Lot maquis, whereas all the other
>> youths of the
>> village went north, to Mont Mouchet.
>> Turned out that in the south the nazis didn't go after them, whereas
>> at Mont
>> Mouchet they were basically exterminated. Not one from the village
>> came back.
>>
>>
>> My Mom was still in school. Her elder brother evaded to Algeria to
>> join the Free
>> French Naval Forces. Served in the commandos on PT-type boats, landing
>> at night
>> to blow up radar stations and artillery on the Med coast. At the time
>> of the
>> Provence landing, his boat was sunk by a nazi plane, and he was the sole
>> survivor. Was picked up by the FNFL after 3 days drifting in a dinghy.
>> He never
>> speaks about it, but he is deeply religious ever since this day.
>>
>>
>> About weird events and blind luck: Grandpa had learnt to swim in his
>> military
>> service, and during ww2 he rescued a kid who was drowning in the local
>> river.
>> Turned out he was the son of the local chief of the nazi-puppet Vichy
>> 'milice'.
>> When Vichy ordered the militia to deport the Jewish families into nazi
>> death
>> camps, this fascist ******* zealously rounded up every family but
>> spared ours.
>>
>> On my wife's side, uncle Frank served in the marines. Was in a ski
>> unit and
>> ended the war in Austria and at Berchtesgaden. Uncle Mickey was in the
>> army and
>> served in the Japan occupation after VE-day. They never talk about it
>> either.
>>
>>
>>
>> My two elder brothers served in the 6-days war. The older one was a
>> paratroop
>> officer and got killed in the battle for Jerusalem. The younger one
>> commanded a
>> tank company. He was killed in the Sinai.
>>
>> I was too young for 6dw, and served in the attrition and kippur wars.
>> Was hurt
>> twice but the docs did a good job. Later got injured again in Levanon
>> during op
>> peace for Galil. This time too damaged to patch up, and discharged in
>> 1983. I
>> can walk almost normally again now, and consider myself the lucky one.
>>
>>
>> My older kid is getting 14, and I wish so much that they wouldn't have
>> to go
>> through the same things. With hamas, fatah, hizbullah, Iran and in
>> general the
>> muslim fanatics, it looks worse than ever. Darn it.
>>
>> Dov.
>
> God bless you and your family Dov. Freedom commands a high price, and
> you've paid far more than your fair share.
>


Shalom! You and your family have enough mitzvah for an eternity.

Never Again!

Dave

[cobra64]

SHIVER ME TIMBERS wrote:
> Well after watching the Ken Burns series THE WAR ad naseum ad naseum,
> I thought I'd come into the group today with one of my curious questions.
(Snip)
>
> How about your folks.....


My father was already honorably discharged from the Army, and was working as a mechanic at an Army Air Corps fighter training base when Pearl Harbor was attacked. He was declared essential and worked there for the duration of the war. I had one uncle in the Sixth Armored Division, another in the Seventh Armored, one in a combat engineer outfit on Okinawa and later the occupation of Japan, one older cousin in the Army working on the Ledo road, and others that I don't know the details about. My wife's father was in L Company, 18 Infantry Regiment, First Infantry Division from North Africa all the way to Aachen, Germany where he met the million dollar wound.

I'm proud of them all.

[Steven Wagner]

My father, John Wagner was an airplane mechanic in the 27th Troup
Carrier Sqn in the 14th Air Force and was discharged a Sargent. He flew
as crew chief in C47s over the Hump in the CBI theater. He went to basic
training in St Petersburg, Florida, a town he later moved to.

My mother, Doris, was a student in a West Virgina town taking shop and
drafting. The only female student in the classes.

Much of the rest of the family worked for the railroads.

Steve

In article >,
says...
>
>
>Well after watching the Ken Burns series THE WAR ad naseum ad naseum,
>I thought I'd come into the group today with one of my curious questions.
>
>What did your parents, family, etc. do in the big WWII.
>
>Mine worked at the Canada Car foundry in what was then called
>Fort William, Ontario.
>
>They were inspectors helping to make Hawker Hurricanes and later other
>types of figthers including the Curtis Helldiver.
>
>How about your folks.....

[Jim[_8_]]

My uncle (OSS also) flew those guys in and out -- He never talked about it
except for one story regarding a small snafu in Thailand.


"john smith" > wrote in message
...

>
> My father was an Army Air Corp radio operator.
> He operated out of Southeast Asia.
> He was part of the OSS program that sent radio operators behind
> Japaneses lines.
>
> https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publ
> ications/books-and-monographs/oss/art09.htm

[Jeff[_8_]]

My Dad served in 672nd amphibious tractor division of the army for a couple
of years, one of which was in the Philipines. This was the division that
delivered the troops to the Los Banos P.O.W. camp in the somewhat famous
and daring rescue of the camp's civilian prisoners, and collected and
transported them out of the camp to the safety of the army's lines. I don't
know if he was part of that operation or not. My efforts to find out the
details of his service were fruitless, since his records, as well as
thousands (millions?) of others were destroyed in a V.A. fire years ago.
And he died many years ago, long before he and I had reached a point we
could have discussed his war experiences.

"SHIVER ME TIMBERS" > wrote in message
...
> Well after watching the Ken Burns series THE WAR ad naseum ad naseum,
> I thought I'd come into the group today with one of my curious questions.
>
> What did your parents, family, etc. do in the big WWII.
>
> Mine worked at the Canada Car foundry in what was then called
> Fort William, Ontario.
>
> They were inspectors helping to make Hawker Hurricanes and later other
> types of figthers including the Curtis Helldiver.
>
> How about your folks.....

[Guybrush Threepwood]

My grandfather was a german soldier and fought first in France then in Russia. He was wounded three times and fell in todays Poland
by end 1944.

--

Gruß Guybrush

>Mails landen im Mülleimer!<

[Jim[_8_]]

"john smith" > wrote in message
...
>> "john smith" > wrote in message
>> ...
>
>> > My father was an Army Air Corp radio operator.
>> > He operated out of Southeast Asia.
>> > He was part of the OSS program that sent radio operators behind
>> > Japaneses lines.
>> >
>> > https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publ
>> > ications/books-and-monographs/oss/art09.htm
>
> In article >,
> "Jim" <jaahrens NOSPAM at yahoo dot com> wrote:
>
>> My uncle (OSS also) flew those guys in and out -- He never talked about
>> it
>> except for one story regarding a small snafu in Thailand.
>
> Anything you can share?

Yes, but give me a couple of days -- I have to dig up the detail notes --

[Garrapata]

>How about your folks.....

My parents were married on December 7 1941 at Ft Lewis Washington.
(their honeymoon was delayed)
At the time my father was an Army corporal in the medical corps and my
mother was a Lieutenant Army nurse. She was not allowed to stay in the
Army after she was married and spent the war having my brother and me.
In 1942-44 my father was stationed at Camp Barkley, Abilene Texas where
he taught hand to hand combat. Then he went to OCS and was transferred
to Camp Pickett, Virginia before going to Germany to help open a
hospital at Nuremberg just after the war ended.
An Uncle was a Marine pilot who survived without a scratch and on his
first back in the states was hit by a taxi and spent 6 weeks in the
hospital
--

09=ix